West Virginia · statute · W. Va. Code ch. 34 · 15 active provisions
Any person may take up an estray found on his land, or a boat or vessel adrift. He shall immediately post notices at three public places in the district wherein the property is so found, giving a description of the property and stating when the same was so taken up; and if the owner of such property shall not appear an…
Such freeholders shall return their certificate, with the warrant, to the clerk of the county court of the county, who shall record the same in a book kept for that purpose, and post a copy thereof at the door of the courthouse of the county within one week after his receipt of such certificate.
If the owner of such property shall not have appeared within thirty days after such copy has been so posted, and the valuation thereof be under $15, or if such valuation be as much as $15, and the owner shall not have appeared after such certificate has been published as aforesaid, and also three times in some newspape…
The former owner may, at any time after, recover the valuation money, except the amount of the clerk's and printer's fees, and the fees of the justice and freeholders for the service mentioned in section one of this article and in this section, and such compensation for keeping the property down to the time when it bec…
If such estray die, or any such property be lost to such owner of the land or person taking it up, without his fault, he shall not be liable for the same or its valuation.
When any property, not mentioned in section one of this article, is drifted on any waters of this state, and taken up by any person, or deposited and left on the lands of any person, other than the owner of such property, the person taking it up, or the owner of such land, shall, as against all persons other than the o…
The owner of such property, after he shall have paid to the person taking it up, or to the owner of such land, a just compensation for any proper care, labor, or expense bestowed, done, or incurred by him about such property, but not before, may enter upon such land for the purpose, and, doing as little injury as possi…
If the owner of such property as is mentioned in section six of this article shall not, within three months from the time the same was so taken up or deposited, remove or demand from the person taking it up, or the owner of such land, such property, the person taking it up or the owner of such land may sell such proper…
If any person shall falsely or fraudulently procure a warrant to be issued by a justice, under section one of this chapter, for the appraisement of anything as an estray or drift property which is not such; or shall secrete any such estray or property, or alter or change the appearance thereof, or the marks thereon, wi…
In any action, suit, prosecution or controversy about any property mentioned in this article, the person claiming to be the owner thereof must prove his ownership thereof, in order to sustain his claim to be such owner, as against the person taking up such property, or on whose land it was deposited.
[Repealed.]
The residuum of a decedent's estate, belonging to the state, and any property derelict, or having no rightful owner, may be recovered from any person in possession thereof, by a bill in equity in the name of the state.
When any such suit as is mentioned in the preceding section is instituted, the court shall cause a publication to be made setting forth the nature of the claim, the name and nativity (when known) of the deceased person, or of the former owner of the property, if known, as the case may be, and describing the property or…
If, in such a suit as is mentioned in section one of this article, no person appears to show title in himself the court shall decree the residuum or other property to the state, and enforce the collection thereof, or of the proceeds of the sale of such property. Any real property so decreed to the state shall be remitt…
After any such decree for the payment of such residuum of a decedent's estate, or the proceeds of the sale of any such derelict property or property having no rightful owner, any person who had not asserted a claim before the sale or decree, who may be entitled to such residuum or derelict or other property, may recove…