(a) If after the expiration of eight months from the appointment of the personal representative of a decedent it appears to the satisfaction of the court by whom the appointment was granted that the personal representative of the estate is unable to ascertain the whereabouts of a person entitled to be heir or devisee of the estate or whether a person who, if living, would be entitled as heir or devisee of this estate is dead or alive, the court may issue a notice addressed to all persons interested in the estate as heirs or devisees calling on the person whose whereabouts or the fact of whose death is unknown, his personal representatives, or heirs or devisees, to appear before the court on a certain day and hour as specified in this notice and to show cause why the personal representative should not be ordered to distribute the estate as if the person whose whereabouts or the fact of whose death is unknown had died before the decedent, and notifying all persons entitled to the estate as heir or devisee, or otherwise, to appear on a designated day and time before the court to intervene for their interest in the estate. The day fixed in the notice, on which cause must be shown, must not be less than one month after the date of the first publication of the notice.

(b) The notice must be published once a week for three successive weeks in a newspaper published in the county in which the court is held. The court has the right, in its discretion, to order the notice to be published once a week for three successive weeks in one other newspaper published in another place most likely to give notice to interested persons.

(c) The publication of the notice as prescribed in subsection (b) must be proved by filing with the court copies of the newspapers containing the publication of the notice or the affidavit of the publishers or printers of the respective newspapers.

(d) At the time fixed in the notice for cause to be shown, due proof of publication having been made and filed as required by subsection (c), if no person appears as required, the court must decree distribution of the estate to be made as if the person whose whereabouts or the fact of whose death is unknown had died before the decedent. Distribution by the personal representative is a full and complete discharge to the personal representative.

(e) At the time fixed in the notice for cause to be shown, due proof of publication having been made and filed as required by subsection (c), if the person whose whereabouts or the fact of whose death was unknown appears, all further proceedings must be discharged.

(f) If the identity of the person appearing is disputed by the personal representative, an heir or devisee of the decedent or the legal representatives of an heir or devisee, the court must proceed to hear and determine the controversy. If the controversy is determined against the person appearing, distribution of the estate must be made as prescribed in subsection (d); but if the controversy is determined in favor of the party appearing, he is considered to be the person whose whereabouts or the fact of whose death was unknown. The determination in either case is subject to appeal as provided in § 62-1-308.

(g) At the expiration of the time fixed in the notice for cause to be shown, due proof of publication having been made and filed as required by subsection (c), if a person appears claiming to be heir, devisee, or personal representative of the person whose whereabouts or the fact of whose death is unknown or to be otherwise entitled to his estate and claiming a distributive share in the decedent’s estate, the court shall proceed to hear and determine whether the person whose whereabouts or the fact of whose death is unknown died before or after the decedent, and if the determination is that the person whose whereabouts or the fact of whose death is unknown died before the decedent, distribution of the decedent’s estate must be made accordingly; but if the court determines that the person whose whereabouts or the fact of whose death is unknown died after the death of the decedent, the distributive share of the person must be paid and delivered by the personal representative to the person legally entitled to receive it, the determination in either case, is subject to appeal as provided in § 62-1-308.

(h) Instead of the procedure required in this section, an unclaimed devise or intestate share of five thousand dollars or less may be paid or transferred by the personal representative to the South Carolina State Treasurer.