BEALS. In Louisiana. A method of taking the effects of a deceased person into public custody.
2. On the death of a person, according to the laws' of Louisiana, if the heir wishes to obtain the benefit of inventory and the dolays for deliberating, be is bound, as soon as he koows of tho death of the de-. ceased to whose succession he is oalled, and before committing any act of heirship, to cause the seals to be affixed on the effects of the succession by: any judge orjustice of the peace. La. Civ. Code. art. 1027.
In ten days after this affixing of the seals, the heir is bound to present a petition to the judge of, the place in„which the succession is opened, pray., ing for the removal of the seals and that a true: it'd faithful inventory of the effects of the sucoes sion be made. Id. art. 1028.
In oase of vacant estates and estates of which' the heirs are absent and not'revesented, the seals, after the decease, must be affixed by a judge or justice of the peace within the limits of his jurisdio-. tion, and may be fixed by him either ,ex officio or at the request of the parties. La. Civ. Code, art. 1070. The seals are affixed at the request of the parties when a widow, a testamentary executor, or' any other person who pretends to have en interest in a succession or community of property, requirea it. Id. art. 1071. They are affixed ex officio when the presumptive heirs of the deceased do not all re aide in the place where be died, or if any of them, happen to he absent. Id. art. 1072.
3. The object of placing the seals on the effocts of a succession is for the purpose of preserving them, and for the interest of third persons. Id. art. 1068.
The seals must be placed on the bureaus, cof fers, armoires and other things which contain, the effects and papera of the deceased, and 'on the doors of the apartments which oontain these things, so that they cannot he opeued without; tearing off, hreaking, or altering. the seals. id., art. 1069.
The judge or justioe of the peace who affixes the sea:s is hound to appoiut a guardian, at the ex pense of the suocession, to take oare of the seals and of the effeots, of which an anoount is taken at the end of the proces-verbal of the affixing of the seals. The guardian must be domiciliated in the place where the inventory is taken. Id. art. 1079. And the judge, when he retires, must take with him the keys of all things and apartments upon whioh tho seals have been affixed. Id.
Tho raising of the seals is done by the judge of the plaoe or justice of the peace appointed by him to that effect, in the presence of the witnesses of the vicinage, in tho same manner as for the affixing of the seals. Id. art. 1084.