If any motor vehicle on which the ad valorem taxes prescribed in this chapter have been paid shall be totally destroyed by fire, tornado, flood, collision, accident or acts of Providence, then the owner of such motor vehicle, upon filing a petition and submission of sufficient proof, may be credited with the amount of the ad valorem taxes on the proportional part of the taxable year remaining, less ad valorem taxes accruing on the salvage price, if any, in calculating the amount of ad valorem taxes due on any replacement for such a motor vehicle, if replaced during the then current taxable year. In no event, however, shall such person claiming credit under this provision be entitled to a cash refund.

In order to obtain benefit of this credit, such person must submit proof supported by affidavit of three (3) reputable citizens that such motor vehicle has been totally destroyed and a statement must be made as to the estimated amount of salvage value remaining. The application for this credit and the three (3) supporting affidavits must be notarized by an officer who has legal authority to notarize such instruments.

Any person who makes or swears to a false statement or makes or swears to a statement of facts without personal knowledge of such facts, in any connection with an adjustment claim as referred to above, shall be guilty of perjury and upon conviction shall be punished as now provided by law. The same procedure as outlined above shall apply to municipalities and municipal separate school districts in proper cases, if the subject motor vehicle has been totally destroyed as outlined above.