Title 43 — Public LandsRelease 119-73not60
§872 Conveyances to United States in Connection with Applications for Amendment of Patented Entries or for Exchange of Land, Etc.; Withdrawal or Rejection of Applications; Reconveyances
Title 43 › Chapter 20— RESERVATIONS AND GRANTS TO STATES FOR PUBLIC PURPOSES › § 872
Summary
Return land if the United States got it because of an application that is later withdrawn or rejected. If the deed was recorded, the Interior Secretary (or a designee) must sign a quitclaim deed returning the land to the rightful owner.
Full Legal Text
Title 43, §872
Public Lands — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Where a conveyance of land has been made or may hereafter be made to the United States in connection with an application for amendment of a patented entry or entries, or an exchange of lands, or for any other purpose, and the application in connection with which the conveyance was made is thereafter withdrawn or rejected, the Secretary of the Interior or such officer as he may designate is authorized and directed, if the deed of conveyance has been recorded, to execute a quitclaim deed of the conveyed land to the party or parties entitled thereto.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Statutory Notes and
Executive Documents
Transfer of Functions
Functions of Secretary of the Interior under this section, with respect to execution of quitclaim deeds for lands conveyed to United States in connection with exchange transactions involving lands under jurisdiction of Secretary of Agriculture, transferred to Secretary of Agriculture, see Pub. L. 86–509, June 11, 1960, 74 Stat. 205, set out as a note under section 2201 of Title 7, Agriculture. For
Transfer of Functions
of other officers, employees, and agencies of Department of the Interior, with certain exceptions, to Secretary of the Interior, with power to delegate, see Reorg. Plan No. 3 of 1950, §§ 1, 2, eff. May 24, 1950, 15 F.R. 3174, 64 Stat. 1262, set out under section 1451 of this title. “Secretary of the Interior or such officer as he may designate” substituted for “Commissioner of the General Land Office” on authority of section 403 of Reorg. Plan No. 3 of 1946. See note set out under section 1 of this title.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
43 U.S.C. § 872
Title 43 — Public Lands
Last Updated
Apr 5, 2026
Release point: 119-73not60