44:4-91. Expenses recoverable from poor person or estate; insurance

If it is ascertained at any time that a person who has been assisted by or has received support from any municipality or county has real or personal property over and above that necessary for his maintenance in whole or in part, if such poor person is maintained by the county at home, or over and above that sufficient for his family, or if any such person shall die, leaving real or personal property, an action may be maintained in the court of common pleas of the county by the board of chosen freeholders which has furnished or provided such assistance or support, or any part thereof, against such person or his estate, to recover the sums of money which have been expended by the county in the assistance and support of the person during the period for which support was furnished, and if any person shall die having received relief or maintenance as a poor person and having insurance upon his life, the proceeds of the insurance, after the payment of the expense of the last illness and the funeral expenses of the person, shall, if the terms of the policy so permit, be first applied to the reimbursement of the county, for the cost of the support and maintenance of the person, but no action shall lie, nor shall any appropriation of insurance be made against any estate when it is shown to the satisfaction of the court that the proceeds thereof, or the estate, are needed to prevent the widow or minor children of the poor person from becoming dependent upon the public.