66Unknown beneficiaries, advertising for, distribution of shares of

##### 66. Unknown beneficiaries, advertising for, distribution of shares of (1) Where any property is held by a trustee and the property or any part thereof cannot be distributed because the trustee does not know — (a) whether any person who is, or may be, entitled thereto is, or at any material date was, in existence; or (b) whether all or any of the persons who are members of any class that is or may be entitled thereto are, or at any material date were, in existence; or (c) whether any such person as is mentioned in paragraph (a) or (b) is alive or dead or where he is to be found, the trustee may publish such advertisements (whether in the State or elsewhere) as are appropriate in the circumstances calling upon every such person and every person claiming through any such person to send in his claim within a time to be specified in the advertisements, being, in any case, not less than 2 months from the date on which the advertisement is published. (2) Where the trustee is in doubt as to what advertisements should be published under this section, he may apply to the Court for directions in that regard. (3) Where the trustee has received (whether as a result of advertisements or not) a claim that any person is a person to whom any advertisement made under this section relates, or any notice that any person may claim to be such a person, and the trustee is not satisfied that the claim is or would be valid, the trustee may serve upon the claimant or the person of whom the trustee has notice as aforesaid, a notice calling upon him, within a period of 3 months from the date of service of the notice, to take legal proceedings to enforce the claim, if he wishes to pursue it, and to prosecute the proceedings with all due diligence; and advising him that, if he fails to do so, his claim may be disregarded and application may be made to the Court without further notice for an order authorising the distribution of the property. (4) Nothing in subsection (3) makes it necessary for the trustee to serve a notice therein mentioned on any person; and the Court may make an order under this section, whether or not such a notice has been served on any person, if it is satisfied that the information supplied to the trustee by that person or otherwise in the possession of the trustee indicates that the person is not one of the persons specified in the advertisements or is not likely to be one of those persons. (5) Upon proof by affidavit of the circumstances, and of the inquiries that have been made, and of the results of the inquiries and advertisements, and of the claims of which the trustee has received notice, and of the notices that the trustee has given to claimants under subsection (3), and of the action (if any) that the claimants have taken to enforce their claims, the Court may order that the trustee be at liberty to distribute the property or part thereof, subject to such conditions as the Court may impose — (a) as if every person and every member of any class of person specified in the order (being all or any of the persons specified in the advertisements) is not in existence or never existed or has died before a date or event specified in the order; and (b) where as a consequence of the order it is not possible or practicable to determine whether or not any condition or requirement affecting a beneficial interest in the property or any part thereof has been complied with or fulfilled, as if that condition or requirement had or had not been complied with or fulfilled, as the Court may determine. (6) In making any order under subsection (5), the Court may — (a) disregard (without express reference thereto in the order) the claims of any persons who do not appear to the Court to be, or likely to be, any of the persons specified in the advertisements; (b) disregard (without express reference thereto in the order) the claim of any person to whom the trustee has given notice under subsection (3) and who has failed to take legal proceedings to enforce the claim or to prosecute any such proceedings with all due diligence; (c) exclude from the operation of the order any person to whom the trustee has not given notice under subsection (3) and who, in the opinion of the Court, may be one of the persons specified in the advertisements, or any person whom the Court considers should, for any reason, be excluded from the operation of the order; (d) provide that the order shall not be acted on for such period or except on such conditions as may be specified in the order or that the effect of the order shall during a period so specified be advertised in such manner and form as may be specified in the order, or that the order be served upon such person or persons as are specified therein; and in the event of the Court exercising the jurisdiction conferred by this paragraph it may in the order direct that the order shall be of no effect in respect of any person specified therein in the event of that person instituting proceedings in the State to enforce his claim and serving the proceedings upon the trustee within such period as is specified in the order. (7) The Court may make an order under this section notwithstanding that there has not been strict compliance with any directions as to advertisements previously given by the Court, or that an error has been made in any advertisement (whether or not any directions have previously been given by the Court) if the Court considers that the error would not be likely to have prejudiced or misled the persons to whom the advertisement relates. (8) Where the Court makes an order under this section that the trustee may distribute any property or part thereof as if every person and every member of any class of persons specified in the order (not being a person expressly excluded from the operation of the order) is not in existence or never existed or has died before a date or event specified in the order, and the trustee distributes in accordance with the order, the trustee shall be exonerated from any further liability to any such person or to any member of any such class; but nothing in this section affects any remedy that any person may have against any person other than the trustee, including any right that he may have to follow the property and any money or property into which it is converted. (9) The Court may make one or more orders under this section in respect of the same property. (10) Any order made under this section may direct how the costs of the order and of advertising under or for the purposes of the order shall be borne. (11) It shall not be necessary to serve notice of an application for an order under this section upon any person, unless the Court otherwise orders. (12) Nothing in this section affects the right of the trustee (if he so wishes) to distribute under any other law or statutory provision or affects the protection thereby afforded when he makes distribution pursuant to any such law or provision.