Section 14: Unclaimed immovable property

14. Unclaimed immovable property (1) Where the Curator has reason to believe that any immovable property is unclaimed, he shall publish a notice in 2 daily newspapers setting out a description of the property and requiring any person having a claim therein to notify him of the claim not later than one month from the date of the last publication of the notice. (2) No application for a vesting order shall be made in relation to any property in relation to which a notice has been published under subsection (1) until after the expiry of the time limit specified in that subsection. (3) Where a person notifies the Curator of his claim to any property following the publication of a notice under subsection (1) and the Curator is satisfied that the claim is valid, the Curator shall not apply for a vesting order in relation to that property. (4) Where the Curator does not admit any claim notified to him under subsection (1), he shall, on applying for a vesting order in relation to the property, make the person notifying the claim a defendant to the application, and where issue is joined before the Judge on the hearing of the application, the Judge shall refer the matter to the competent Court to determine the issue of ownership of the property. C60 – 5 [Issue 1] Curatelle Act