Us Code § 2253 - Adjustment by Secretary of titles to lands acquired by Government and subject to his control
Full text of Us Code United States Code § 2253 — Adjustment by Secretary of titles to lands acquired by Government and subject to his control, with citation guidance and answers to common questions.
§ 2253. Adjustment by Secretary of titles to lands acquired by Government and subject to his control
If the Secretary of Agriculture shall find after the acquisition by the United States of any land or interest therein which is subject to his administration, custody, or control, other than land acquired by exchange of public domain land or resources, that the title thereto is legally insufficient for the purposes for which such land or interest was acquired and no consideration therefor has been paid by the United States, or that title or color of title to such land or interest was acquired through mistake, misunderstanding, error, or inadvertence, he is authorized to execute and deliver on behalf of and in the name of the United States to the person from whom the title was acquired or to the person whom he finds entitled thereto a quitclaim deed to such land or interest: Provided, however, That if the person to whom such deed is made is the same person from whom the United States acquired title, or his successor in interest, any consideration given by the United States for such land or interest shall be restored or, in lieu thereof, the value equivalent of such consideration as determined by the Secretary of Agriculture shall be paid to the United States; and any consideration or value equivalent so restored or paid shall, so far as is practicable, be restored to the jurisdiction, or deposited to the credit, of the department, agency, appropriation, or fund from which the consideration was transferred or paid at the time of the acquisition of title by the United States.
(July 8, 1943, ch. 197, 57 Stat. 388; Mar. 3, 1952, ch. 72, 66 Stat. 11; Pub. L. 87–869, §2, Oct. 23, 1962, 76 Stat. 1157.)
Editorial Notes
Codification
Section was formerly classified to section 567 of Title 5 prior to the general revision and enactment of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees, by Pub. L. 89–554, §1, Sept. 6, 1966, 80 Stat. 378.
Amendments
1962—Pub. L. 87–869 struck out "within twenty years" after "shall find".
1952—Act Mar. 3, 1952, increased period of limitation during which Secretary may adjust land titles from ten to twenty years.
Executive Documents
Transfer of Functions
Functions of all officers, agencies, and employees of Department of Agriculture transferred, with certain exceptions, to Secretary of Agriculture by 1953 Reorg. Plan No. 2, §1, eff. June 4, 1953, 18 F.R. 3219, 67 Stat. 633, set out as a note under section 2201 of this title.
About This Section
7 U.S.C. § 2253 is part of Title 7 of the United States Code. The United States Code is the official codification of federal statutes maintained by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel of the U.S. House of Representatives. Congress amends the Code through new public laws, which are eventually incorporated into the relevant title.
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