Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 96 Part 1.djvu/1010

 96 STAT. 968

PUBLIC LAW 97-258—SEPT. 13, 1982 § 3532. NotiHcation of account deficiencies An accounting official discovering a deficiency in an account of an official of the United States Government having custody of public money shall notify the head of the agency having jurisdiction of the official of the kind and amount of the deficiency. SUBCHAPTER IV—COLLECTION § 3541. Distress warrants (a) When an official receiving public money before it is paid to the Treasury or a disbursing or certifying official of the United States Government does not submit an account or pay the money as prescribed by law, the Comptroller General shall make the account for the official and certify to the Secretary of the Treasury the amount due the Government. GD) The Secretary shall issue a distress warrant against the official stating the amount due from the official and any amount paid. The warrant shall be directed to the marshal of the district in which the official resides. If the Secretary intends to take and sell the property of an official that is located in a district other than where the official resides, the warrant shall be directed to the marshal of the district in which the official resides and the marshal of the district in which the property is located. § 3542. Carrying out distress warrants (a) A marshal carrying out a distress warrant issued under section 3541 of this title shall seize the personal property of the official and sell the property after giving 10 days notice of the sale. Notice shall be given by posting an advertisement of the property to be sold in at least 2 public places in the town and county in which the property was taken or the town and county in which the owner of the property resides. If the property does not satisfy the amount due under the warrant, the official may be sent to prison until discharged by law. (b)(1) The amount due under a warrant is a lien on the real property of the official from the date the distress warrant is issued. The lien shall be recorded in the office of the clerk of the appropriate district court until discharged under law. (2) If the personal property of the official is not enough to satisfy a distress warrant, the marshal shall sell real property of the official after advertising the property for at least 3 weeks in at least 3 public places in the county or district where the property is located. A buyer of the real property has valid title against all persons claiming under the official. (c) The official shall receive that part of the proceeds of a sale remaining after the distress warrant is satisfied and the reasonable costs and charges of the sale are paid. § 3543. Postponing a distress warrant proceeding (a) A distress warrant proceeding may be postponed for a reasonable time if the Secretary of the Treasury believes the public interest will not be harmed by the postponement. (b)(1) A person adversely affected by a distress warrant issued under section 3541 of this title may bring a civil action in a district court of the United States. The complaint shall state the kind and extent of the harm. The court may grant an injunction to stay any

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