6. Every holder of unclaimed articles who neglects to comply with the foregoing provisions shall incur a penalty not exceeding one-fourth of the appraised value of the goods detained, one-half of which shall belong to Her Majesty and the other half to the informer.
Such penalty may be sued for and recovered before any justice of the peace for the district, on the oath of one or more credible witnesses, other than the informer; and, in default of immediate payment, shall be levied with costs, by seizure and sale of the offenders’ goods and chattels, under a warrant signed by any justice of the peace.
R. S. 1964, c. 316, s. 6.