§2253 — Title 7 Agriculture | U.S. Code

Summary

The Secretary of Agriculture can give up the United States’ claim to land by signing a quitclaim deed when the U.S. already got the land under his control but the ownership papers are legally weak and the government paid nothing, or when the ownership was taken by mistake, misunderstanding, error, or inadvertence. This does not apply to land the U.S. got by exchanging public domain land or resources. He may give the deed to the person the land came from or to whoever he finds is entitled to it. If the deed goes to the same person (or that person’s successor) who sold or gave the land to the U.S., any payment the government made for the land must be returned or an equal value paid to the United States. That money should, when possible, go back to the same department, agency, account, or fund that provided it.

Title 7, §2253

Agriculture — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

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.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

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.

§2253 Adjustment by Secretary of titles to lands acquired by Government and subject to his control