TITLE 22 - US CODE - SUBCHAPTER IV - CLAIMS AGAINST CZECHOSLOVAKIA

22 USC 1642 - Definitions

As used in this subchapter

(1) National of the United States means

(A) a natural person who is a citizen of the United States, or who owes permanent allegiance to the United States, and

(B) a corporation or other legal entity which is organized under the laws of the United States, any State or Territory thereof, or the District of Columbia, if natural persons who are nationals of the United States own, directly or indirectly, more than 50 per centum of the outstanding capital stock or other beneficial interest in such legal entity. It does not include aliens.

(2) Commission means the Foreign Claims Settlement Commission of the United States, established, pursuant to Reorganization Plan Number 1 of 1954 (68 Stat. 1279).

(3) Property means any property, right, or interest.

22 USC 1642a - Financial provisions

(a) Deposit of proceeds of certain property
The Secretary of the Treasury is directed to hold, in an account in the Treasury of the United States, the net proceeds of the sale of certain Czechoslovakian steel mill equipment heretofore blocked and sold in the United States by order of the Secretary of the Treasury under authority of Executive Order Numbered 9193, dated July 6, 1942 (7 F.R. 5205, July 9, 1942).

(b) Creation of Czechoslovakian Claims Fund
There is created in the Treasury of the United States a fund to be designated the Czechoslovakian Claims Fund, for the payment of unsatisfied claims of nationals of the United States against Czechoslovakia as authorized in this subchapter.

(c) Voluntary settlement and payment of claims of nationals of the United States
If, within one year following August 8, 1958, the Government of Czechoslovakia voluntarily settles with and pays to the Government of the United States a sum in payment of claims of United States nationals against Czechoslovakia, all moneys held pursuant to subsection (a) of this section shall be disposed of in accordance with the terms of the settlement agreement with Czechoslovakia and applicable provisions of this subchapter and the sum paid by Czechoslovakia shall be covered into the Czechoslovakian Claims Fund.

(d) Deposit of net proceeds into Fund
Upon the expiration of one year after August 8, 1958 if no settlement with Czechoslovakia of the type specified in subsection (c) of this section has occurred, all moneys held pursuant to subsection (a) of this section except amounts held in reserve pursuant to section 1642b of this title, shall be covered into the Czechoslovakian Claims Fund.

(e) Deductions for expenses
The Secretary of the Treasury shall deduct from the Czechoslovakian Claims Fund 5 per centum thereof as reimbursement to the Government of the United States for the expenses incurred by the Commission and by the Treasury Department in the administration of this subchapter. The amount so deducted shall be covered into the Treasury to the credit of miscellaneous receipts.

(f) Disposition of balance of Fund
After the deduction for administrative expenses pursuant to subsection (e) of this section, and after payment of awards certified pursuant to section 1642i of this title, the balance remaining in the Fund, if any, shall be paid to Czechoslovakia in accordance with instructions to be provided by the Secretary of State.

22 USC 1642b - Claims against United States; jurisdiction; limitation; preference; reserve fund

No judicial relief or remedy shall be available to any person asserting a claim against the United States or any officer or agent thereof with respect to any action taken under this subchapter, or any other claim for or on account of the property or proceeds described in section 1642a of this title, or for any other action taken with respect thereto except to the extent that the action complained of constitutes a taking of private property without just compensation, and to such extent the sole judicial relief and remedy available shall be an action brought against the United States in the United States Court of Federal Claims which action must be brought within one year of August 8, 1958, or it shall be forever barred; and any action so brought shall receive a preference over all actions which themselves are not given preference by statute. No other court shall have original jurisdiction to consider any such claim by mandamus or otherwise. If any action is brought pursuant to this section the Secretary of the Treasury shall set aside an appropriate reserve in the account containing the moneys held pursuant to subsection (a) of section 1642a of this title. Such reserve shall be retained pending a final determination of all issues raised in the action and recovery in any such action shall be limited to and paid out of the moneys so reserved. After a final determination of all issues raised in the action and payment of any judgment against the United States entered pursuant thereto, any balance no longer required to be held in reserve shall be disposed of in accordance with the provisions of subsection (d) of section 1642a of this title. Nothing in this section shall be construed to create

(1) any liability against the United States for any action taken pursuant to section 1642c of this title,

(2) any liability against the United States in favor of the Government of Czechoslovakia, any agency or instrumentality thereof or any person who is an assignee or successor in interest thereto, or

(3) any other liability against the United States.

22 USC 1642c - Determination of validity and amount of claims

The Commission shall determine in accordance with applicable substantive law, including international law, the validity and amount of claims by nationals of the United States against the Government of Czechoslovakia for losses resulting from the nationalization or other taking on and after January 1, 1945, of property including any rights or interests therein owned at the time by nationals of the United States, subject, however, to the terms and conditions of an applicable claims agreement, if any, concluded between the Governments of Czechoslovakia and the United States within one year following August 8, 1958. In making the determination with respect to the validity and amount of claims and value of properties, rights, or interests taken, the Commission is authorized to accept the fair or proved value of the said property, right, or interest as of a time when the property or business enterprise taken, was last operated, used, managed or controlled by the national or nationals of the United States asserting the claim irrespective of whether such date is prior to the actual date of nationalization or taking by the Government of Czechoslovakia.

22 USC 1642d - Nationality requirements

A claim under section 1642c of this title shall not be allowed unless the property upon which the claim is based was owned by a national of the United States on the date of nationalization or other taking thereof and unless the claim has been held by a national of the United States continuously thereafter until the date of filing with the Commission.

22 USC 1642e - Claims based on ownership interest in corporations or other legal entities

(a) Nationals of United States
A claim under section 1642c of this title, based upon an ownership interest in any corporation, association, or other entity which is a national of the United States shall be denied.

(b) Direct ownership
A claim under section 1642c of this title, based upon a direct ownership interest in a corporation, association, or other entity for loss by reason of the nationalization or other taking of such corporation, association, or other entity, or the property thereof, shall be allowed, subject to other provisions of this subchapter, if such corporation, association, or other entity on the date of the nationalization or other taking was not a national of the United States, without regard to the per centum of ownership vested in the claimant in any such claim.

(c) Indirect ownership
A claim under section 1642c of this title, based upon an indirect ownership interest in a corporation, association, or other entity for loss by reason of the nationalization or other taking of such corporation, association, or other entity, or the property thereof, shall be allowed, subject to other provisions of this subchapter, only if at least 25 per centum of the entire ownership interest thereof at the time of such nationalization or other taking was vested in nationals of the United States.

(d) Computation of award
Any award on a claim under subsection (b) or (c) of this section shall be calculated on the basis of the total loss suffered by such corporation, association, or other entity, and shall bear the same proportion to such loss as the ownership interest of the claimant bears to the entire ownership interest thereof.

22 USC 1642f - Prevention of double benefits

In determining the amount of any award by the Commission there shall be deducted all amounts the claimant has received from any source on account of the same loss or losses with respect to which such award is made.

22 USC 1642g - Consolidated awards

With respect to any claim under section 1642c of this title which, at the time of the award, is vested in persons other than the person by whom the loss was sustained, the Commission may issue a consolidated award in favor of all claimants then entitled thereto, which award shall indicate the respective interests of such claimants therein, and all such claimants shall participate, in proportion to their indicated interests, in the payments authorized by this subchapter in all respects as if the award had been in favor of a single person.

22 USC 1642h - Prohibition against payment of award to certain persons

No award shall be made on any claim under section 1642c of this title to or for the benefit of

(1) any person who has been convicted of a violation of any provision of chapter 115 of title 18, or of any other crime involving disloyalty to the United States, or

(2) any claimant whose claim under this subchapter is within the scope of subchapter III of this chapter.

22 USC 1642i - Certification of awards

The Commission shall certify to the Secretary of the Treasury, in terms of United States currency, each award made pursuant to this subchapter.

22 USC 1642j - Time for filing of claims; notice

Within sixty days after August 8, 1958, or of legislation making appropriations to the Commission for payment of administrative expenses incurred in carrying out its functions under this subchapter, whichever date is later, the Commission shall give public notice by publication in the Federal Register of the time when, and the limit of time within which claims may be filed, which limit shall not be more than twelve months after such publication.

22 USC 1642k - Time limitation on completion of affairs of Commission

The Commission shall complete its affairs in connection with the settlement of claims pursuant to this subchapter not later than three years following the final date for the filing of claims as provided in section 1642j of this title or following the enactment of legislation making appropriations to the Commission for payment of administrative expenses incurred in carrying out its functions under this subchapter, whichever date is later.

22 USC 1642l - Payment of awards

(a) Manner of payment
The Secretary of the Treasury is authorized and directed, out of the sums covered into the Czechoslovakian Claims Fund, to make payments on account of awards certified by the Commission pursuant to this subchapter as follows and in the following order of priority:

(1) Payment in the amount of $1,000 or in the amount of the award, whichever is less.

(2) Thereafter, payments from time to time on account of the unpaid balance of each remaining award made pursuant to this subchapter which shall bear to such unpaid balance the same proportion as the total amount in the fund available for distribution at the time such payments are made bears to the aggregate unpaid balance of all such awards.

(b) Regulations
Such payments, and applications for such payments, shall be made in accordance with such regulations as the Secretary of the Treasury shall prescribe.

(c) “Award” defined
For the purpose of making any such payments, an award shall be deemed to mean the aggregate of all awards certified in favor of the same claimant.

(d) Payment of interest of deceased persons or persons under legal disability
If any person to whom any payment is to be made pursuant to this subchapter is deceased or is under a legal disability, payment shall be made to his legal representative, except that if any payment to be made is not over $1,000 and there is no qualified executor or administrator, payment may be made to the person or persons found by the Comptroller General to be entitled thereto, without the necessity of compliance with the requirements of law with respect to the administration of estates.

(e) Partial payments
Subject to the provisions of any claims agreement hereafter concluded between the Governments of Czechoslovakia and the United States, payment of any award pursuant to this subchapter shall not, unless such payment is for the full amount of the claim, as determined by the Commission to be valid, with respect to which the award is made, extinguish such claim, or be construed to have divested any claimant, or the United States on his behalf, of any rights against any foreign government for the unpaid balance of his claim.

22 USC 1642m - Fees of attorneys; limitation; penalty

No remuneration on account of services rendered on behalf of any claimant in connection with any claim filed with the Commission under this subchapter shall exceed 10 per centum of the total amount paid pursuant to any award certified under the provisions of this subchapter on account of such claim. Any agreement to the contrary shall be unlawful and void. Whoever, in the United States or elsewhere, demands or receives, on account of services so rendered, any remuneration in excess of the maximum permitted by this section, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not more than $5,000 or imprisoned not more than twelve months, or both.

22 USC 1642n - Transfer of records

The Secretary of State is authorized and directed to transfer or otherwise make available to the Commission such records and documents relating to claims authorized by this subchapter as may be required by the Commission in carrying out its functions under this subchapter.

22 USC 1642o - Applicability of administrative provisions of subchapter I

To the extent they are not inconsistent with the provisions of this subchapter, the following provisions of subchapter I of this chapter shall be applicable to this subchapter: Subsections (b), (c), (d), (e), (h), and (j) of section 1623 of this title; subsections (c), (d), (e), and (f) of section 1626 of this title.

22 USC 1642p - Authorization of appropriations

There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to enable the Commission and the Treasury Department to pay their administrative expenses incurred in carrying out their functions under this subchapter.