A. A museum shall have the authority to acquire legal title to undocumented property if the museum can verify through written records that it has held such property for five years or longer, during which period no valid claim to the property has been asserted and no person has contacted the museum regarding the property, by complying with the following procedure:
1. The museum shall cause to be published a notice once a week for two consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the county or city in which the museum is located and in a newspaper of general circulation in the county or city of the lender's last known address if different from the county or city in which the museum is located. The notice shall include:
a. A brief and general description of the undocumented property;
b. The date or approximate date of the loan or acquisition of the property by the museum, if known;
c. Notice of the museum's intent to claim title to the property if no valid claims are made within 65 days following the date of the first publication of the notice under this subdivision 1;
d. The name, address, and telephone number of the representative of the museum to contact for more information or to make a claim; and
e. If known, the name and last known address of the lender.
2. If no valid claims have been made by the end of the 65-day period following the date of the first publication of the notice under subdivision 1 c, the museum shall cause to be published a second notice once a week for two consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the county or city in which the museum is located and in a newspaper of general circulation in the county or city of the lender's last known address if different from the county or city in which the museum is located. The second notice shall include:
a. A brief and general description of the undocumented property;
b. The date or approximate date of the loan or acquisition of the property by the museum, if known;
c. Notice that the museum claims title to the property as of the date of the end of the 65-day period following the date of the first publication of the notice under subdivision 1; and
d. If known, the name and last known address of the lender.
B. Upon compliance with the requirements set forth in subsection A, clear and unrestricted title is transferred, as of the date specified in subdivision A 1 c, to the museum and not to the Commonwealth.
2002, c. 883, § 55-210.37; 2019, c. 712.