21-45-53. Compensation of tenant for life or years--Consent or adjudication of amount payable--Protection of unknown tenant.
The person entitled to a tenancy for life or years, whose estate has been sold, is entitled to receive such sum as may be deemed a reasonable satisfaction for such estate, and which the person so entitled may consent to accept instead thereof, by an instrument in writing, filed with the clerk of courts. Upon the filing of such consent, the clerk must enter the same in the minutes of the court. If such consent be not given, filed, and entered at or before the time a judgment of sale is rendered, the court must ascertain and determine what proportion of the proceeds of the sale, after deducting expenses, will be a just and reasonable sum to be allowed on account of such estate, and must order the same to be paid to such party, or deposited in court for him, as the case may require. If the person entitled to such estate for life or years be unknown, the court must provide for the protection of his rights in the same manner, as far as may be, as if he were known and had appeared.
Source: CCivP 1877, §§574 to 576; CL 1887, §§5388 to 5390; RCCivP 1903, §§613 to 615; RC 1919, §§2824 to 2826; SDC 1939 & Supp 1960, §37.1422.