Louisiana law provides that in every parish with over 50,000 population a public administrator shall be appointed by the Governor to administer the estates of persons who die in such parish without a will and with no surviving spouse or heir present or represented in the State of Louisiana. L.R.S. 9:1581, et seq.

If a deceased person has a will but the executor named in it cannot serve, the Public Administrator may be appointed to act as executor of the will. L.R.S. 9:1583, 1584.

In addition, the Public Administrator may serve, and has served, as succession representative when appointed by the Court at its request or at the request of heirs or other interested parties desiring a neutral administrator.

Marlene Babin is the Public Administrator for the Parish of Orleans and has served in that capacity under the administrations of Governors Edwin Edwards, Murphy Foster, Kathleen Blanco, Bobby Jindal and, currently, Governor John Bel Edwards.

SALES OF ESTATE PROPERTY

Property belonging to the estates administered by the Public Administrator may be disposed of by public auction or by private sale, at the discretion of the Administrator and subject to the approval of the Court.

For a listing of properties offered for sale and the sale terms, please follow the links for individual estates.