1462                             LAWS OF MARYLAND                        [CH. 706

by the Commission free and clear of all debts and liens, but the Com-
mission shall make a party defendant of any person, firm, or corpo-
ration having any recorded lien or encumbrance against the same,
and the Circuit Court may determine the respective amounts due the
defendants; and from and after payment into Court or to the proper
parties as hereinabove provided, the Commission is authorized to take
possession of, maintain, and operate the system, which shall be sub-
ject to the same regulations and penalties as though the system so
acquired had been constructed and put into operation by the Com-
mission under the provisions of this subtitle; provided, however, that
no building or premises actually connected in an adequate manner
with the acquired system shall be required to pay any connection
charge.

(d) Whenever there is in existence a privately-owned water sup-
ply or sewerage system which in the judgment of the Commission is
unfit, UNSUITABLE in whole or in part, for incorporation into the
Commission's system, the Commission may disregard the existence
of said system of unfit UNSUITABLE part thereof and extend its
system to serve the area tributary to the existing system or unfit
UNSUITABLE part thereof, and all the provisions of this subtitle
relating to systems constructed by the Commission apply thereto.

408. Acquisition; purchase or gift.

(a)   The Commission may purchase or acquire by gift any existing
water, sewerage, or drainage systems, or parts thereof, including
those owned, operated by, or serving any municipality, or any land,
structure, buildings, stream bed, water rights, or watershed, either
in fee or as an easement, which in its judgment is desirable or neces-
sary for the purpose of providing adequate water, sewerage or drain-
age service or either for the residents of the county. Any such pur-
chase is subject to the approval of the County Commissioners and
may be made upon such terms and conditions as may be agreed upon,
but before any part of the purchase price is paid, other than a nominal
sum of money to bind the agreement, it is the duty of the vendor or
agent to furnish a statement to said Commission setting forth all
names and addresses of persons having any interest or claims against
the property whatsoever, which shall be verified by an oath in writing.

(b)   Thereupon it is the duty of the Commission to notify person-
ally or by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, all
persons having any interest whatever in the property, and in addi-
tion the Commission shall give three weeks' notice of its intention
to purchase the property, in a newspaper or newspapers published
within the county where the property is located; and each person
having any claim whatever against the property shall file its, his,
or her claim with the Commission on or before the expiration date
mentioned in the notice at which time any and all persons shall be
heard.

(c)   Any municipality whose system or any portion thereof is ac-
quired by the Commission by purchase may use the amount paid to
it for the system for the purchase or redemption of any bonds or debt
which may be outstanding against the same; or the Commission, as
part of the purchase price of the system, may assume the payment
of any such bond or debt. The Commission shall not purchase any
existing water mains, sewers, or systems, in whole or in part, which