§1631a — Title 22 Foreign Relations and Intercourse | U.S. Code

Summary

Transfers ownership of certain frozen property tied to Bulgaria, Hungary, or Rumania to a U.S. officer or agency the President picks. The rule applies to property frozen under Executive Order 8389 that was still frozen on August 9, 1955, and that was owned, directly or indirectly, by those countries or their nationals on September 15, 1947. The property must be sold or turned into cash quickly under the President’s rules, and the net money goes into the U.S. Treasury after any claims are handled. If the President finds the property was directly owned by an individual (a natural person), it stays frozen instead of being transferred. If within one year after a transfer the President finds it was owned by an individual, the transfer is undone and the property or its sale proceeds are returned to frozen, no‑interest Treasury accounts in that owner’s name, subject to possible release by the President. Money from property transferred to the Alien Property Custodian or the Attorney General after December 17, 1941, under the Trading With the Enemy Act is treated the same: net proceeds go to the Treasury unless the President says it was directly owned by an individual, in which case the money is put into frozen, no‑interest Treasury accounts in the owner’s name. The President’s decision that property was not individually owned cannot be reviewed by any court. The President may also require people to give reports and documents about any frozen property to enforce these rules.

Title 22, §1631a

Foreign Relations and Intercourse — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In accordance with article 25 of the treaty of peace with Bulgaria, article 29 of the treaty of peace with Hungary, and article 27 of the treaty of peace with Rumania, any property which was blocked in accordance with Executive Order 8389 of April 10, 1940, as amended, and remains blocked on August 9, 1955, and which, as of September 15, 1947, was owned directly or indirectly by Bulgaria, Hungary, and Rumania or by any national thereof as defined in such Executive order, shall vest in such officer or agency as the President may from time to time designate and shall vest when, as, and upon such terms as the President or his designee shall direct. Such property shall be sold or otherwise liquidated as expeditiously as possible after vesting under such rules and regulations as the President or his designee may prescribe. The net proceeds remaining upon completion of the administration and liquidation thereof, including the adjudication of any suits or claims with respect thereto under section 1631f and 1631g of this title, shall be covered into the Treasury. Notwithstanding the preceding provisions of this subsection, any such property determined by the President or his designee to be owned directly by a natural person shall not be vested under this subsection but shall remain blocked subject to release when, as, and upon such terms as the President or his designee may prescribe. If, at any time within one year from the date of the vesting of any property under this subsection, the President or his designee shall determine that it was directly owned at the date of vesting by a natural person, then the President or his designee shall divest such property and restore it to its blocked status prior to vesting, subject to release when, as, and upon such terms as the President or his designee may prescribe, or if such property has been liquidated, shall divest the net proceeds thereof and carry them in blocked accounts with the Treasury, bearing no interest, in the name of the owner thereof at the date of vesting, subject to release when, as, and upon such terms as the President or his designee may prescribe.

(b)The net proceeds of any property which was vested in the Alien Property Custodian or the Attorney General after December 17, 1941, pursuant to the Trading With the Enemy Act, as amended [50 U.S.C. 4301 et seq.], and which at the date of vesting was owned directly or indirectly by Bulgaria, Hungary, or Rumania, or any national thereof, shall after completion of the administration, liquidation, and disposition of such property pursuant to such Act, including the adjudication of any suits or claims with respect thereto under such Act, be covered into the Treasury, except that the net proceeds of any such property which the President or his designee shall determine was directly owned by a natural person at the date of vesting shall be divested by the President or such officer or agency as he may designate and carried in blocked accounts with the Treasury, bearing no interest, in the name of the owner thereof at the date of vesting, subject to release when, as, and upon such terms as the President or his designee may prescribe.

(c)The determination under this section that any vested property was not directly owned by a natural person at the date of vesting shall be within the sole discretion of the President or his designee and shall not be subject to review by any court.

(d)The President or his designee may require any person to furnish, in the form of reports or otherwise, complete information, including information with regard to past transactions, relative to any property blocked under Executive Order 8389 of April 10, 1940, as amended, or as may be otherwise necessary to enforce the provisions of this section; and the President or his designee may require of any person the production of any books of account, records, contracts, letters, memoranda, or other papers relative to such property or as may be otherwise necessary to enforce the provisions of this section.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Executive Order 8389 of April 10, 1940, referred to in subsecs. (a) and (d), is Ex. Ord. 8389, Apr. 10, 1940, 5 F.R. 1400, which is set out under section 4305 of Title 50, War and National Defense. The Trading With the Enemy Act, as amended, and such Act, referred to in subsec. (b), is act Oct. 6, 1917, ch. 106, 40 Stat. 411, which is classified generally to chapter 53 (§ 4301 et seq.) of Title 50, War and National Defense. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Tables.

Executive Documents

Executive Order No. 10644 Ex. Ord. No. 10644, Nov. 8, 1955, 20 F.R. 8363, as amended by Ex. Ord. No. 11281, May 13, 1966, 31 F.R. 7215, which designated the Attorney General to perform functions of the President under this subchapter and the Secretary of the Treasury to perform functions under this section with respect to the release of blocked property and accounts, was revoked by Ex. Ord. No. 12553, Feb. 25, 1986, 51 F.R. 7237.

§1631a Property Owned by Bulgaria, Hungary, and Rumania or Any National Thereof