Absentee owners

(1) Where there is no person competent to alienate land or to receive or to give a sufficient discharge for any compensation awarded, or where any person interested in land, by reason of his absence from Belize and of his not being represented therein by a duly authorised attorney, does not submit a statement to or appear before the authorised officer as required by section 7 of this Act, and where such person, after diligent inquiry, cannot be found, the authorised officer shall pay the compensation into the Supreme Court to the credit of the person entitled thereto. (2) Any compensation paid into the Supreme Court by virtue of this section may, on the subsequent application of any person claiming to be entitled thereto, be paid out to such person on the order of the court. (3) All moneys paid into the Supreme Court under this section which remain unclaimed for twelve years after such payment shall be transferred and paid into the Consolidated Revenue Fund and all legal claims thereto shall be forever barred. 23