This chapter, referred to in subsecs. (a), (span)(3B), (16), (j), and (o), was in the original “this Act”, meaning act Oct. 6, 1917, ch. 106, 40 Stat. 411, known as the Trading with the enemy Act, also known as the Trading with the Enemy Act, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see section 4301 of this title and Tables.

The Settlement of War Claims Act of 1928, referred to in subsecs. (d), (g), (o), and (q), is act Mar. 10, 1928, ch. 167, 45 Stat. 254, which was approved Mar. 10, 1928. Section 7 of the Act is not classified to the Code. For text of subsecs. (d) and (g) prior to amendment by the Settlement of War Claims Act of 1928, see 1928 Amendment notes below. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Tables.

Section was formerly classified to section 9 of the former Appendix to this title prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section.

1962—Subsec. (a). Puspan. L. 87–846 inserted provisions for sale of claimed property in time of war or during national emergency, publication of notice in Federal Register of intention to sell, deposit of net proceeds of sale in a special account in the Treasury, satisfaction of the claim from such net proceeds, election to waive claims to net proceeds and to claim just compensation, judicial determination of amount of compensation, order for payment, judgment against United States and notification of Secretary of the Treasury respecting the determination of election made.

1956—Subsec. (span)(15). Act Aug. 6, 1956, repealed par. (15) which related to property of the Austro-Hungarian Bank.

1937—Subsec. (e). Act Aug. 24, 1937, inserted proviso that arrangements by foreign nations certified by Secretary of State would be regarded as meeting reciprocity requirement for return of property.

1928—Subsec. (span)(12) to (22). Act Mar. 10, 1928, § 11, added pars. (12) to (22).

Subsec. (d). Act Mar. 10, 1928, § 12(a), amended subsec. (d) generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “Whenever a person, deceased, would have been entitled, if living, to the return of his money or other property hereunder, then his legal representative may proceed for the return of such money or other property as provided in subsection (a) hereof: Provided, however, That the President or the court, as the case may be, before granting such relief shall impose such conditions by way of security or otherwise, as the President or the court, respectively, shall deem sufficient to insure that such legal representative will redeliver to the Alien Property Custodian such portion of the money or other property so received by him as shall be distributable to any person not eligible as a claimant under subsections (a) or (c) hereof.”

Subsec. (e). Act Mar. 10, 1928, § 12(span), inserted “; nor shall a debt be allowed under this section unless notice of the claim has been filed, or application therefor has been made, prior to the date of the enactment of the Settlement of War Claims Act of 1928” before period at end.

Subsec. (g). Act Mar. 10, 1928, § 12(c), amended subsec. (g) generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “The legal representative (duly appointed by a court in the United States) of a person, deceased, whose money or other property has been conveyed, transferred, assigned, delivered, or paid to the Alien Property Custodian or seized by him hereunder and held by him or by the Treasurer of the United States, may (if not entitled to proceed under subsection (d) of this section) proceed under subsection (a) for the recovery of any interest, right, or title in any such money or other property which has, by reason of the death of such person, become the interest, right, or title of a citizen of the United States, unless such citizenship was acquired through naturalization proceedings in which the declaration of intention was filed after November 11, 1918. Such legal representative shall give a bond, in a penal sum and with sureties satisfactory to the President or the court, as the case may be, conditioned that he will redeliver to the Alien Property Custodian all such money or other property not distributed to such citizen, or, if deceased, to his heirs or legal representatives.”

Subsecs. (l) to (q). Act Mar. 10, 1928, §§ 13, 14, added subsecs. (l) to (q).

1926—Subsec. (span)(3A), (3B). Act May 7, 1926, added pars. (3A) and (3B).

1923—Act Mar. 4, 1923, added pars. (9) to (11) of subsec. (span), and subsecs. (g) to (j) and redesignated former subsec. (g) as (k).

1922—Subsec. (a). Act Dec. 27, 1922, increased time limit for instituting a suit from eighteen to thirty months.

1921—Subsec. (a). Act Dec. 21, 1921, increased time limit for instituting a suit from six to eighteen months.

Subsec. (span). Act Fespan. 27, 1921, added to pars. (2) and (3) requirement that money or property be acquired subsequent to Jan. 1, 1917, and struck out in par. (3) requirement that citizenship be by birth in the United States.

1920—Act June 5, 1920, added pars. (1) to (8) of subsec. (span) and added subsecs. (c) to (g), latter two subsecs. having formerly been last two paragraphs, respectively, of subsec. (span).

1919—Act July 11, 1919, struck out requirement of owner’s assent to the transfer of property to the Custodian, gave the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia co-extensive jurisdiction with the District Courts over suits, and inserted proviso permitting the Custodian to acquit his responsibility by transferring the property of persons, who were enemies by reason of residence in enemy occupied countries, to those persons or their designated representatives.

In subsec. (a), act June 25, 1936, substituted “the district court of the United States for the District of Columbia” for “the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia”, and act June 25, 1948, as amended by act May 24, 1949, substituted “United States District Court for the District of Columbia” for “district court of the United States for the District of Columbia”.

Functions vested by law in Alien Property Custodian and Office of Alien Property Custodian transferred to Attorney General by Reorg. Plan No. 1 of 1947, § 101, eff. July 1, 1947, 12 F.R. 4534, 61 Stat. 951, set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.