Notice to nonresidents and unfound residents

§ 18–502. Notice to nonresidents and unfound residents (a) Where a person entitled to notice under section 18–501 (a) is a nonresident of the District of Columbia or is a resident of the District who has been returned “Not to be found” under subsection (b) of that section, the notice may be by a citation in which the return date named is not less than 20 days after the filing of the petition. The citation shall be served not less than 10 days before the return date named therein and only by a person not less than 18 years of age, who is not a party to or otherwise interested in the estate of the decedent. The return, showing the time and place of service, shall be made under oath in the District of Columbia, unless the person making the service is a sheriff or deputy sheriff, or a marshal or deputy marshal, authorized to serve process where service is made. (b) When there is proof by the petition for probate or by other affidavit that any or all of the persons, interested as described by section 18–501 (a), are nonresidents of the District of Columbia, or when any of them has been returned “Not to be found” under subsection (b) of that section, the notice may be by a publication in which the return date named is not less than 30 days after the date of the first appearance of the publication. The notice shall be published once in each of three successive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the District of Columbia. A copy of the published notice shall be mailed to the lastknown address of each person referred to in this subsection who is not shown to have been returned served personally under section 18–501(b) or subsection (a) of this section. The court may by general rule prescribe the form of the notice by publication, and may order such other publication as the case requires.