West Virginia Code 11A-3-43 – Officers to report lands subject to sale
(a) Whenever an assessor, sheriff, clerk of the county commission or county surveyor learns of the existence within the county of any nonentered land, he shall promptly report that fact to the Auditor, together with his information relating thereto. The assessor, as escheator, shall likewise report all lands which escheat to the state.
Terms Used In West Virginia Code 11A-3-43
- Auditor: whenever used in this chapter in connection with delinquent, nonentered, escheated or waste and unappropriated lands, shall be construed to refer to the Auditor in his capacity as state commissioner of delinquent and nonentered lands. See West Virginia Code 11A-3-33
- Escheat: Reversion of real or personal property to the state when 1) a person dies without leaving a will and has no heirs, or 2) when the property (such as a bank account) has been inactive for a certain period of time. Source: OCC
- State: when applied to a part of the United States and not restricted by the context, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories, and the words "United States" also include the said district and territories. See West Virginia Code 2-2-10
(b) Whenever the deputy commissioner learns of the existence of any waste and unappropriated lands within his county, except lands lying under the bed of a navigable stream, he shall direct the county surveyor, or some other competent surveyor, to make a survey, plat and report thereof, listing all discovered claims of title thereto. For his services in making the survey, plat and report, the surveyor shall be entitled to a fee of $50, and such additional compensation as the deputy commissioner may recommend and the Auditor approve, to be paid out of the operating fund for the land department in the Auditor's office.