Sec. 51.247.  PATENTS FOR LAND THAT CANNOT BE PATENTED BY OTHER METHODS.  (a)  Any headright survey, homestead donation, preemption survey, scrip survey, or other survey awarded or sold before August 20, 1931, which has been held and claimed in good faith by a person for 10 years before the date of application for a patent but which cannot be patented under existing law may be patented on payment to the commissioner of the purchase price as set by the board.
(b)  The patent shall be issued to the owner of record as shown in the records of the land office and shall inure distributively to the legal owners of the land.
(c)  If a tract of school land has been occupied by mistake as part of another tract, the occupant shall have a preference right for a period of six months after discovery of the mistake to purchase the land at the same price paid or contracted to be paid for the land actually conveyed to him.
Acts 1977, 65th Leg., p. 2436, ch. 871, art. I, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1977.