10 U.S.C. § 7672 : US Code - Section 7672: Recaptures: award of salvage, costs, and expenses

Search 10 U.S.C. § 7672 : US Code - Section 7672: Recaptures: award of salvage, costs, and expenses

(a) If a vessel or other property that has been captured by a
force hostile to the United States is recaptured, and the court
believes that the property had not been condemned as prize by
competent authority before its recapture, the court shall award an
appropriate sum as salvage.
(b) If the recaptured property belonged to the United States, it
shall be restored to the United States, and costs and expenses
ordered to be paid by the court shall be paid from the Treasury.
(c) If the recaptured property belonged to any person residing
within or under the protection of the United States, the court
shall restore the property to its owner upon his claim and on
payment of such sum as the court may award as salvage, costs, and
expenses.
(d) If the recaptured property belonged to any person permanently
residing within the territory and under the protection of any
foreign government in amity with the United States, and, by the law
or usage of that government, the property of a citizen of the
United States would be restored under like circumstances of
recapture, the court shall, upon the owner's claim, restore the
property to him under such terms as the law or usage of that
government would require of a citizen of the United States under
like circumstances. If no such law or usage is known, the property
shall be restored upon the payment of such salvage, costs, and
expenses as the court orders.
(e) Amounts awarded as salvage under this section shall be paid
to the United States.