Pennsylvania Statutes Title 68 P.S. Real and Personal Property § 273. Seizure of goods fraudulently removed in Philadelphia

In case any lessee for life or lives, term of years, at will or otherwise, of any messuages, lands or tenements, situate in the City or County of Philadelphia, upon the demise whereof any rents are or shall be reserved and made payable, shall, from and after the first day of August next, before such rents as aforesaid shall become due and payable, fraudulently convey away or carry off or from such demised premises his goods and chattels, with intent to defraud the landlord or lessor of his remedy by distress, it shall and may be lawful to and for such landlord or lessor to consider his rents so reserved as aforesaid as apportioned up to the time of such conveying away or carrying off, and for him or any other person or persons, by him for that purpose lawfully authorized, within the space of thirty days next ensuing such conveying away or carrying off such goods and chattels as aforesaid, to take and seize such goods and chattels, wherever the same may be found, as a distress for such rents so apportioned as aforesaid, and the same to sell or otherwise dispose of in such manner as if the said goods and chattels had been distrained by such lessor or landlord, in and upon such demised premises, for rents actually due agreeably to the existing laws: provided, that such landlord or lessor, before any such goods or chattels are seized as aforesaid, shall make oath or affirmation, before some Judge, Alderman or Justice of the Peace, that he verily believes that said goods or chattels were carried away for the purpose of defrauding as aforesaid: and provided, that nothing herein contained shall extend or be deemed or construed to extend to empower such lessor or landlord to take or seize any such goods or chattels, or a distress, for such rents so apportioned as aforesaid, which shall be bona fide, and for a valuable consideration, sold before such seizure made to any person or persons not privy to such fraud as aforesaid, anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding: And provided also, That nothing herein contained shall be construed to apply to contracts made before the passage of this act.