§901 Claims of bona fide purchasers; establishment of rights

Summary

Protects someone who bought land in good faith when a patent or certification was made by mistake. If that buyer tells the Secretary of the Interior about their claim before anyone sues to cancel the patent, and the Secretary finds they really bought in good faith, the Secretary will ask the United States to sue the original grantee for the land’s value. The buyer’s title will be kept, and the amount sued for cannot be more than the government’s minimum price for the land. If the Secretary says the buyer is not in good faith, that decision is not final. If the buyer is made part of the court case and the court finds they bought in good faith, the court will confirm their title and order the United States to recover the land’s value from the grantee as above. A good-faith buyer who was not joined in the suit and did not file with the Secretary can still prove their right in any federal court or use the options in sections 896 and 897.