Chapter 459. To quiet laud titles in the District of Columbia
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/statutes-at-large/vol-30/chapter-459-5982854·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
CHAP. 459.— An Act To quiet laud titles in the District of Columbia. March 3, 1899. *Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, * That in all cases when the titleDistrict of Columbia.Perfection of title under adverse possession. or claim of any person out of possession of any real estate in the District of Columbia shall be barred by adverse possession, and the title thereto has vested in the party in possession or the party under whom he claims, the party holding a title which has vested by adverse possession may file a bill in equity, in the supreme court of the District of Columbia, to have his title thereto perfected; and it shall be sufficient for himPetition, etc. to state in his petition that he holds the title to such real estate and that the same has vested in him, or those under whom he claims, by adverse possession.
And in such action it shall not be necessary to make any person a party defendant, except such persons as may appear to have a claim or title adverse to that of the plaintiff. And upon theDecree. trial of such cause proof of the facts showing a title in the plaintiff by adverse possession shall entitle him to a decree of the court declaring his title by adverse possession, and a copy of such decree may be entered of record in the office of the recorder of deeds for said District.
And inService of process.R. S. D. C., secs. 787, 788, 789, pp. 93–94. any such action service of process may be had, as provided in sections seven hundred and eighty-seven, seven hundred and eighty-eight, and seven hundred and eighty-nine of the Revised Statutes, relating to the District of Columbia. And if in any case an adverse claimant shall beDeath of adverse claimant. dead, then the heirs, devisees, or alienees of such person, or those claiming by, through, or under him, if known, shall be made defendants as adverse claimants, and if they be unknown to the plaintiff, then he shall allege in his petition, under oath, that there are, or he verily believes that there are, persons interested in the subject-matter of the petition as heirs or devisees of the deceased, or as claiming by, through, or under him or them, whose names he can not insert therein because they are unknown to him, and shall describe the interest of such person and how derived, so far as his knowledge extends, and service of process on such unknown persons shall be had by designating them in the published notice as the unknown heirs, devisees, or alienees of the last known owner or claimant of the title; and when such service shall be had a decree shall be rendered the same as though personal service had been had: *Provided,* The rights of infants, or others under legal disability*Provisos.*Preservation of rights of infants.—limit of time. shall be saved for a period of two years after the removal of their disabilities: *Provided, however,* That the entire period during which such rights shall be preserved shall not exceed twenty-two years from the time such rights accrued either in said claimant or in the person or persons under whom he claims.
Approved, March 3, 1899.