Chap. 970.—An ACT to incorporate the fire insurance salvage corps of
Richmond.

Approved March 7, 1900.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That the
ecretary of the Virginia state insurance company of Richmond,
Virginia, the secretary of the Virginia fire and marine insurance
company of Richmond, Virginia, the secretary of the mutual
issurance society of Virginia, Julius Straus, T. lL. Alfriend, R. 8.
Valentine, and W. A. Crenshaw, and such other persons as may become
issociated with them and their successors, shall be, and are hereby,
Jeclared to be a body politic and corporate, by the name and style of
the fire insurance salvage corps of Richmond, and by that name shall
have succession and be capable in law to sue and be sued, plead and be
impleaded, answer and be answered, defend and be defended in all
courts of law and equity or elsewhere, to make and use a common
seal, and the same to alter and renew at pleasure, and generally to do
and perform all things relative to the objects of its incorporation which
may be lawful.

2. And be it enacted, That said corporation may hold by purchase,
devise, or otherwise, real and personal property, for the use of said
corporation, to an amount not to exceed fifty thousand dollars and may
sell, lease, mortgage, and convey the same, or any part thereof, subject,
nevertheless, to the laws of the state.

3. And be it enacted, That said corporation shall have power to pro-
vide and maintain a corps of men, with proper officers, whose duty it
shall be, so far as practicable, to save and preserve property at or after
a fire, and power is hereby granted to said corps, its officers, and its
men to enter any building on fire, or which, in their judgment, is imme-
diately exposed to or in danger of taking fire from other burning
buildings, to protect and save property therein, and to remove such
property or any part thereof at or immediately after a fire: provided,
however, that nothing in this act shall be so construed as to lessen
in any way the authority of the officers or members of the Richmond
fire department, or to warrant or justify any interference with them in
the performance of their duties, nor shall it in any way justify the
owner of any building or personal property in the abandonment of his
property, or in relaxing any effort in preserving and saving the same,
during or after a fire, except so far as he may be prevented by the action
taken by this corps, its officers, or its members.

4. And be it enacted, That the officers and men of the fire insurance
salvage corps of Richmond, with their teams and apparatus shall have
the right of way whilst going to a fire, through any street, lane, or alley
in the city of Richmond, subject to such rules and regulations as the
mavor and city council and Richmond fire department may prescribe.
and subject also to the right of the Richmond fire department, and
any violation of the street rights of the fire insurance salvage corps of!
Richmond shall be punished in the same manner, as is or mav here
after be provided for the punishment of violations of the rights o!
the Richmond fire department.

5. And be it enacted, That in the month of June, nineteen hundred
and in the month of June of every second year thereafter, there shall
be held a meeting of the corporation hereby created, of which ten days’
previous notice shall be inserted in one daily newspaper, published in
the city of Richmond, at which meetings each incorporated insurance
company or association doing business in the city of Richmond, whether
its officers or agents be members of this corporation or not, shall have
the right to be represented by one of such oilicers or agents, and each
organization represented at such mecting shall be entitled to one vote;
a majority of the whole number so represented shall have power to
decide upon the question of sustaining the fire insurance salvage corps
hereinbefore mentioned, and of fixing the maximum amount of expenses
which shall be incurred therefor during the two fiscal years next to
ensue, which amount shall, in no case, exceed two per centum on the
aggregate premiums, returned as received, as provided in section six of
this act, and the whole of such amounts, or so much thereof as may be
necessary, may be assessed upon the organizations belonging to this
corporation, and shall, upon all other organizations and agencies, as
hereinbefore mentioned, in proportion to ‘the several amounts of pre-
miums returned as received My each as hereinafter provided, and such
assessments shall be collectible by this corporation in any of the courts
of law in the city of Richmond having jurisdiction, or before any jus-
tice of the peace in said city of Richmond, should the amount be too
small to give a court of law jurisdiction.

6. And be it enacted, That to provide for the payment of persons
employed under the provisions of this act, and to maintain the apparatus
for saving property contemplated, this corporation is empowered to
require a statement to be furnished semi-annually by all corporations,
associations, underwriters, agents, or persons of the aggregate gross
premiums deducting cancellations and re-insurance received for insur-
ing property in the city of Richmond for and during the six months
next preceding the thirtieth day of June and the thirty-first day of
December in each year: provided, the amount upon which the assess-
ment is to be levied upon deposit for any perpetual policies issued by
such corporation, association, underwriter, agent, or person shall be
a sum equal to the interest at the rate of six per centum per annum,
upon anv such deposit received during the six months next preceding
any such assessment, which statement shall be sworn to by the presi-
dent or principal officer or secretary of the corporation or association.
or by the agent or person so acting and effecting such insurance in
said city, and shall be handed to the treasurer of this corporation within
thirty davs after the time to which such returns are to be made.

And be it enacted, That it shall be lawful for the treasurer or
other appointed officer of this corporation, within ten days after the
first dav of January and the first dav of Julv in each year, by written
or printed demand signed by him to require from every corporation.
association, underwriter. agent, or person engaged in the business of
fire insurance in the city of Richmond, the statement provided for
in section six of this act, such demand may be delivered personally at
the office of such corporation, association, agent, or person, or at the
residence of the proper officer of such corporation, association, agent.
or person; and every officer of such corporation or association, and every
individual, agent, or underwriter, who shall, for thirty days after such
demand, neglect to render the account, shall forfeit fifty dollars for the
use of the corporation created by this act, and he shall forfeit for its
use twenty dollars in addition for every day he shall so neglect, after
the expiration of said thirty days; and such additional penalty may be
computed and recovered up to the time of the trial of any suit for
recovery thereof, which penalties may be sued for and recovered with
costs of suit, in any of the courts of law in the city of Richmond having
jurisdiction, or before a justice of the peace in the said city of Rich:
mond, by and in the name of the corporation hereby created.

And it is enacted, That whenever services may be rendered by this
corporation in saving any property not insured by any of the companies
which may be members of this corporation, from fire or in protecting
the same from loss or damage during or after a fire, the property so
saved or protected from loss or damage shall be Hable to assessment for
salvage for such services rendered, and the value of such services may
be determined by agreement, but in case differences should arise re-
garding the value of such services, the same shall be referred to two
impartial arbitrators to determine, whose award shall be final and econ-
clusive of such value, and in case the two referees thus chosen should
not agree, they shall appoint an umpire, and an award signed by any
two of the board of referees, thus provided for shall be final, and the
amount thus ascertained shall be collectible by this corporation in
any of the courts of law in this state, or before any justice of the peace
of this state, should the amount of such award be too small to give a
court of law jurisdiction. The said arbitrators shall be chosen, the one
by the party whose property is preserved or saved from loss or damage,
and the other by the president or other proper officer of this corpora-
tion, and should the party, whose property is cared for as aforesaid by
this corporation, refuse to admit any assessment or charge for such
services, and refuse also to name an arbitrator as herein provided for,
then the board of management of this corporation shall be empowered,
and thev are hereby empowered, to appoint an ex-parte board of referees,
to consist of three citizens of the city of Richmond, who shall be first
sworn according to law, to make a careful investigation of such service
and render an impartial award, which said board of referees shall econ-
sider and determine the value of the services rendered by this cor-
poration, and shall make their award setting forth the same, which
award shall be in writing, signed and sworn to by them. When the
value of the services rendered by this corporation in anv case is thus
ascertained, this corporation is empowered to sue for and recover the
same as in the case of anv other debt due the corporation.

9. And be it enacted, That the affairs of the corporation shall be
managed and controlled by a board of management, which board shall
be elected by ballot annually, on the third Monday in May. by the mem-
bers of this corporation. The board shall then elect its own officers,
and have power from time to time to adopt such by-laws as may he
deemed necessary for the government of the corps, not inconsistent
with the laws of this state, and to alter such by-laws at its discretion,

10. And be it enacted, That this act shall take effect from the date
of its passage.