Proceedings to charge relatives legally responsible for maintenance of public patient; collection of maintenance payments; enforcement of order; liability of decedent’s estate

§ 21–1111. Proceedings to charge relatives legally responsible for maintenance of public patient; collection of maintenance payments; enforcement of order; liability of decedent’s estate (a) When a court orders the admission of a person to the District Training School as a public patient and finds at any time that the patient does not have an estate out of which the District of Columbia may be fully reimbursed for his maintenance, a parent, spouse, and adult children of the feeble-minded person, if oi sufficient financial ability, shall pay the cost to the District of Columbia of his maintenance at the institution. The Commissioners of the District of Columbia may petition the court, during the commitment of the feeble-minded person to the institution, to direct any of those relatives to pay the District of Columbia, in whole or in part, for his maintenance at the institution. They may not be required to pay more than the actual cost to the District of Columbia of his maintenance. (b) When the court finds that a relative specified by subsection (a) of this section is able to pay for the maintenance of the feeble-minded person, in whole or in part, it may make an order requiring payment by him or all the relatives of such sums as it finds that he or they are reasonably able to pay and as may be necessary to provide for his maintenance. The order shall require the payment of the sums to the Finance Office of the Department of General Administration, or its successor, or its authorized representative or agency, of the District of Columbia, annually, semiannually, quarterly, or monthly, as the court directs. The Finance Office, or its successor, or its authorized representative or agency, as the case may be, shall collect the sums due under this section and section 21–1110, and turn them into the Treasury of the United States to the credit of the District of Columbia. 79 Stat. 770 (c) If a relative made liable for the maintenance of the feeble-minded person fails to provide or pay for the maintenance, or his part thereof, in accordance with the order of the court, the court shall issue to him a citation to show cause why he should not be adjudged in contempt. The citation shall be served at least 10 days before the hearing t hereon. (d) An order issued under this session may be enforced against any property of a relative made liable for the maintenance of the feeble-minded person, in the same way as if it were an order for temporary alimony in a divorce case. (e) Upon the death of a relative ordered by the court to pay for the maintenance of the feeble-minded person hi whole or in part, the estate of the relative is liable to the District of Columbia for the unpaid amount due the District of Columbia under the order of court at the time of his death, and the claim of the District of Columbia is a preferred claim against his estate.