CHAPTER 626

An Act to amend and reneact § 55-200 of the Code of Virginia, relating to
the methods by which money paid into the State treasury from
escheats may be recevered.

[H 1063]

Approved April 4, 1968

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

i That § 55-200 of the Code of Virginia be amended and reenacted as
ollows:

§ 55-200. How money paid into State treasury from escheats may
be recovered.—After any such sale of escheated lands, or such decree for
the payment of such residuum of a decedent’s estate, or the proceeds of the
sale of any such derelict property, any person who had not asserted a claim
before the sale or decree, being entitled to any lands so escheated and sold,
or to such residuum or derelict property, or any city, town or county claim-
ing unpaid real estate taxes or other local assessments constituting liens
on such land, assessed or imposed within twenty years from the date of
the escheat of such lands may recover the net proceeds paid into the State
treasury under such escheat or decree, as the case may be, or so much of the
net proceeds as may be sufficient to pay such unpaid real estate taxes
and/or local assessments, except so much in the case of escheated lands
as may have been previously paid as local taxes or assessments due on said
land or to any creditors of the decedent. The same may be allowed by the
Comptroller or if the claim in any such case be rejected by him it may be
recovered in the manner provided in Chapter 34 (§ 8-752 et seq.) of Title 8
for recovering claims against the Commonwealth, but subject to the limi-
tation in § 8-757.

Upon the sale of any escheated lands and upon certification to the
escheator making such sale, verified by oath of the city, town or county
treasurer or other officer charged with the collection of local real estate
taxes or other assessments, that the lands so sold were, at the time of
escheat to the Commonwealth, subject to the lien of unpaid local real estate
taxes or other assessments validly assessed, levied or imposed by said city,
town or county on said lands within twenty years preceding the date of
such escheat, the escheator shall certify such facts to the State Comp-
troller, who shall, upon receipt of the proceeds of sale and after deducting
therefrom the escheator’s commission and costs of the inquest and sale,
pay to satd city, town or county treasurer out of the net proceeds of such
sale, if any, the amount of said local real estate taxes and/or assessments,
including accrued penalties and interest, up to but not exceeding the
amount of the funds remaining in the hands of the State Treasurer from
the proceeds of said sale; and such unpaid real estate taxes and assess-
ments shall constitute preferred claims against the net proceeds of such
sale coming into the hands of the State Treasurer.