The Secretary of the Treasury of Puerto Rico may issue a duplicate draft in the event of the nonreceipt, loss, or destruction of the original draft issued upon a warrant, or in case of the mutilation or destruction of such a draft to an extent which renders it nonnegotiable.
Upon receipt by the Secretary of the Treasury of notice as to the nonreceipt, loss or destruction of a draft, he shall direct the proper order to the depository bank upon whom such draft was drawn, to stop payment.
Any person interested in obtaining a duplicate draft shall file, in writing, a petition to such effect to the Secretary of the Treasury. In the event the claimant is not the original owner of the draft, the Secretary of the Treasury shall require clear and satisfactory evidence of the claimant’s legitimate ownership.
In case the legitimate owner of a lost, destroyed, in whole or in part, or defaced draft is not the original owner, the duplicate draft shall be issued in favor of the original owner, but shall bear an indorsement by the Secretary of the Treasury, providing that the Secretary of the Treasury shall receive credit therefor upon the indorsement of the legitimate owner of the draft.
If the original draft is received or recovered after the owner has requested that payment be stopped thereon, but before a duplicate draft has been issued by the Secretary of the Treasury, he shall immediately advise the Secretary of the Treasury and the latter shall leave suspension of payment without effect.
In the event of the receipt or recovery of the original draft after the issue of a duplicate, the original shall not be valid, but shall be immediately forwarded to the Secretary of the Treasury of Puerto Rico for cancellation.
History —Political Code, 1902, § 86; Apr. 25, 1949, No. 77, p. 184, § 1; Apr. 27, 1950, No. 135, p. 358, § 1; June 6, 1968, No. 73, p. 124, § 1.