Ch. 290

1993 LAWS OF. MARYLAND

(3) Any grant made under this title by the State of its interest in any land.

(J) "PUBLIC USE" MEANS USE BY OR FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC.

[(h)](K) "Survey", whether used as a noun or as a verb in any form or tense,
means:                                                                                                          

(1)     The act of surveying any vacant land in order to obtain a patent for the
land; or                                                                                                           

(2)     The act of resurveying any land for which a patent previously was issued
in order to obtain a new patent for the land.

[(i)] (L) "Surveyor" means any professional land surveyor licensed under the
Maryland Professional Land Surveyors Act.

[(j))] (M) "Vacant land" means land for which a patent never has been issued or
for which the applicant believes that a patent never has been issued.

[(k)](N) "Verify" means to state in writing, under penalties of perjury, that the
matters and facts set forth in the document to which the statement relates are true and
complete to the best of the knowledge; information, and belief of the person making the
statement.

13-102.

(a)     A primary purpose THE PURPOSES of land patent proceedings is ARE to:

(1)     Avoid uncertainties caused by the existence of vacant land, by promptly
ruling on the claim of a patent applicant; [and]

(2)      GIVE GOVERNMENTAL BODIES PRIORITY IN RESERVING VACANT
LAND FOR PUBLIC USE; AND                                                                       

[(2)] (3) [To] IN THE ABSENCE OF PUBLIC NEED, benefit the community
by expanding the tax base as previously untaxed, vacant land is recognized and made to
contribute its rightful share towards financing government.

(b)     It is the intention of the General Assembly, therefore, that the State's land
patent proceedings provide a simple, convenient, and prompt method FOR RESERVING
VACANT LAND FOR THE PUBLIC USE OF GOVERNMENTAL BODIES, for promoting
private ownership of vacant land and, in certain instances, for clarifying the ownership of
land previously patented.

13-106.                                                                                         

(A) (1) A GOVERNMENTAL BODY MAY RESERVE VACANT LAND BY
OBTAINING FROM THE COMMISSIONER A CERTIFICATE OF RESERVATION FOR
PUBLIC USE.

(2) EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE PROVIDED, THE PROVISIONS OF THIS TITLE
APPLICABLE TO THE GRANTING OF LAND PATENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO THE
GRANTING OF CERTIFICATES OF RESERVATION.

- 1776-