Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 77.djvu/614

 582

PUBLIC LAW 88-241-DEC. 23, 1963

[77 STAT.

§16-1504. Certification to District Court upon plea of title; undertaking When, upon a trial in a proceeding pursuant to this chapter, the defendant pleads title to the premises, in himself or in another under whom he claims, setting forth the nature of the title, under oath, and enters into an undertaking, with sufficient surety, to be approved by the court, to pay all intervening damages and costs and reasonable intervening rent for the premises, the court shall certify the proceedings to the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, and the proceeding shall be further continued in the District Court according to its rules. § 16-1505. Conclusiveness of judgment A judgment of the District of Columbia Court of General Sessions in a proceeding pursuant to this chapter is not a bar to any afteraction brought Dy either party, and does not conclude any question of title between them, where title is not pleaded by the defendants.

CHAPTER 17—GAMING TRANSACTIONS Sec

16-1701. 16-1702. 16-1703. 16-1704.

Inyalidlty of gaming contracts. Recovery of losses at gaming. Relief from further penalty upon discovery and repayment of losses. Cheating at gambling.

§ 16-1701. Invalidity of gaming contracts (a) A thing in action, judgment, mortgage, or other security or conveyance made and executed by a person in which any part of the consideration is for money or other valuable thing won by playing at any game whatsoever, or by betting on the sides or hands of persons who play, or for the reimbursement or payment of any money knowingly lent or advanced for the purpose, or lent or advanced at the time and place of the play or bet, to a person so playing or betting or who, during the play, so plays or bets, is void except as provided by subsection (b) of this section. (b) If the mortgage, security, or other conveyance affects real property, it shall inure to the sole benefit of, and devolve upon, the persons who might have, or be entitled to, the property, as if the person who executed the instrument had died immediately after its execution, or as if the instrument had been made to the persons so entitled after the death of the person who executed it. A grant or conveyance made for the purpose of preventing the real property from coming to, or devolving upon, the persons intended by this section to enjoy the property as herein provided is fraudulent and void. (c) This section does not affect the validity of negotiable instruments embraced by chapters 1 to 10 of Title 28. § 16-1702. Recovery of losses at gaming A person who, at any time or sitting, by playing at cards, dice or any other game, or by betting on the sides or hands of persons who play, loses to a person so playing or betting, a sum of money, or other valuable thing, amounting to $25 or more, and pays or delivers the money or thing, or any part thereof, may, within three months after the payment or delivery, sue for and recover the money, goods or other valuable thing, so lost and paid or delivered, or any part thereof, or the full value thereof, by a civil action, from the winner thereof, with costs. If the person who loses the money or other thing, does not, within three months actually and bona fide, and without collusion, sue, and with effect prosecute, therefor, any person may sue for, and reoover treble the value of the money, goods, chattels and other things, with costs of suit, by a civil action against the winner, one-half to the use of the plaintiff, the remainder to the use of the District of Columbia.

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