Chap. 380.—An ACT to validate and hold firm and binding the receipts, recorda-
tions and verification of deeds, orders of probate, fiduciary accounts, and
other papers and writings received into the clerk’s office of the courts of
this Commonwealth by the clerks thereof, and transcribed upon the reco
books in said offices, though the receipt, recordation and verification certif-
cates attached thereto have not received the attesting signatures of sald
clerks, and to provide for the attesting and verification of the ae oe

Approved March 20, 1920.

Whereas, in many of the clerk’s offices of the various courts of
this Commonwealth deeds, orders of probate, fiduciary accounts, and
other papers and writings have been received by the clerks thereof.
and have been transcribed in the proper book, or books, provided by
law for the transcribing and recordation of the same, but through
sickness or death of said clerks, or from other causes, the certificates
of such receipt and recordation have not received the attesting signa-
tures of the said clerks, and have not been verified as required by sec-
tion thirty-four hundrd and one of the Code of Virginia, and in many
instances the original of said papers have been misplaced and cannot
now be found, and many owners of land, thinking their deeds have
been properly recorded and verified, are unaware of this failure of
the clerks to so receive, record and verify the same; therefore,

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That all
deeds, orders of probate, fiduciary accounts, and all other papers and
writings heretofore received by any clerk of any court of this Com-
monwealth, and transcribed, or purported to be transcribed in the
proper book or books in said clerk’s office, provided by law for the
transcribing and recordation of such deeds, orders of probate,
fiduciary accounts, or other papers and writings, the certificate of such
receipt and of recordation has not received the attesting signature of
such clerk, and which has not been verified as required by section
thirty-four hundred and one of the Code of Virginia, shall prima facie
be, and deemed to be as truly received, recorded and verified as if the
same had been so attested by the signature of the said clerk.

2. That it shall be the duty of every clerk of any court of this
Commonwealth, in whose office any such deed, order of probate,
fiduciary account, or other paper or writing, as is mentioned in sec-
tion one of this act, has been transcribed upon the proper book or
books in said office, provided by law therefor, and which transcrip-
tion has not received the attesting signature of the clerk who recorded
the same, upon production before such clerk of the original of said
deed, order of probate, fiduciary account, or paper or writing to verify
the accuracy of such transcription by a carefulwexamination and com-
parison of such transcription with the original paper so recorded, and
thereupon the said clerk shall attest said transcription by sighing
thereto the name of the clerk who received the said original paper for
record and his own names as follows:

, “Teste__________________-- , former clerk, per
~o------------ +--+ ++ , his successor.”
And likewise shall note such verification and the date thereof upon
the margin of the record, and for such service the said clerk shall
receive a fee of twenty-five cents, to be paid by the person for whose
benefit the service was performed, and the said record, so certified
and verified, shall have the same effect as if it had been properly cer-
tified and verified by the clerk who received the same, and who should
have so certified and verified the same.

3. This act shall have a retroactive effect, and an emergency

existing. this act shall be in force from its passage.