2. Such petition shall be verified; it shall describe the mortgage, and when and where recorded, or if such mortgage is not recorded that the same may be adjudged to have been paid and to be no longer a lien upon the lands therein described, and shall allege that such mortgage is paid; that the mortgagee has, or, if there be more than one mortgagee, that all of them have been dead for more than five years; or if such mortgage has been assigned by an instrument in writing for that purpose executed and acknowledged, so as to entitle the same to be recorded, and such instrument of assignment has been recorded in the office of the clerk of the county where the mortgaged premises or some portion thereof is situated, and the assignee or assignees of said mortgage have been dead for more than five years, such petition shall state such facts, and no statement respecting the mortgagee or mortgagees or the names and places of residence of their heirs shall be required; or if such mortgagee be a corporation or association, that such corporation or association has ceased to exist and do business as such for more than five years; the time and place of his or their death, and place of residence at the time of his or their death; whether or not letters testamentary or of administration have been taken out, or, if said mortgagee or mortgagees, or assignee or assignees at the time of his or their death resided out of this state, whether or not letters testamentary or of administration have been taken out in the county where such mortgaged premises are situated; or if a corporation or association, its last place of business; the names and places of residence, as far as the same can be ascertained, of the heirs of such mortgagee or mortgagees, or assignee or assignees; or, if such mortgagee be a corporation or association, then the names of one or more of the receivers, if any were appointed, or of the person who has the care of the closing up of the business of such corporation or association, and that such mortgage has not been assigned or transferred, and if such mortgage has been assigned, state to whom and the facts in regard to the same. Provided, however, that if such mortgage has been duly assigned, by indorsement thereof or otherwise, but not acknowledged so as to entitle the same to be recorded, then it shall be competent for the court, at any time within the period aforesaid, upon proof that all the matters hereinbefore required to be stated in said petition are true, and that the assignee of such mortgage if living, or his personal representative if dead, has been paid the amount due thereon, to make an order that such mortgage be discharged of record.
Provided, further, that in case of a mortgage which was recorded or adjudged to have been paid and no longer a lien, more than fifty years prior to the presentation of such petition, if the petitioner is unable with reasonable diligence to ascertain the facts herein required to be stated in the petition, other than the fact of payment, the petition may set forth the best knowledge and information of the petitioner in respect thereto and what efforts have been made to ascertain such facts, and if the court shall be satisfied that the petitioner has made reasonable effort to ascertain such facts, and that the same cannot be ascertained with reasonable diligence, it may then, in its discretion, proceed upon said petition as hereinafter provided.