Louisiana Civil Code

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CHAPTER 9 - OF THE SUCCESSIONS OF PERSONS DOMICILIATED OUT OF THE STATE, AND OF THE TAX DUE BY FOREIGN HEIRS, LEGATEES AND DONEES

SECTION 1 - OF THE SUCCESSIONS OF PERSONS DOMICILIATED OUT OF THE STATE

Art. 1220. [Repealed. Acts 1960, No. 30, §2, eff. Jan. 1, 1961]

SECTION 2 - OF THE TAX DUE BY FOREIGN HEIRS, LEGATEES AND DONEES

Arts. 1221-1223. [Repealed. Acts 1960, No. 30, §2, eff. Jan. 1, 1961]

CHAPTER 10 - OF SUCCESSIONS ADMINISTERED BY SYNDICS

Arts. 1224-1226. [Repealed by Acts 1960, No. 30, §2, eff. Jan. 1, 1961]

CHAPTER 11 - OF COLLATIONS

SECTION 1 - WHAT COLLATION IS, AND BY WHOM IT IS DUE

Art. 1227. The collation of goods is the supposed or real return to the mass of the succession which an heir makes of property which he received in advance of his share or otherwise, in order that such property may be divided together with the other effects of the succession.

Art. 1228. A. Children or grandchildren, coming to the succession of their fathers, mothers, or other ascendants, must collate what they have received from them by donation inter vivos, directly or indirectly, and they cannot claim the legacies made to them by such ascendants unless the donations and legacies have been made to them expressly as an advantage over their coheirs and besides their portion.

B. This rule takes place whether the children or their descendants succeed to their ascendants as legal or as testamentary heirs. [Acts 2001, No. 572, §1]

Art. 1229. The obligation of collating is founded on the equality which must be naturally observed between children and other lawful descendants, who divide among them the succession of their father, mother and other ascendants; and also on the presumption that what was given or bequeathed to children by their ascendants was so disposed of in advance of what they might one day expect from their succession.

Art. 1230. Collation must take place, whether the donor has formerly [formally] ordered it, or has remained silent on the subject; for collation is always presumed, where it has not been expressly forbidden.

Art. 1231. But things given or bequeathed to children or other descendants by their ascendants, shall not be collated, if the donor has formally expressed his will that what he thus gave was an advantage or extra part, unless the value of the object given exceed the disposable portion, in which case the excess is subject to collation.

Art. 1232. The declaration that the gift or legacy is made as an advantage or extra portion may be made in the instrument where such disposition is contained, or afterwards by an act passed before a notary and two witnesses, or in the donor's last will and testament. Unless expressly stated to the contrary, a declaration of dispensation from collation made in the last will and testament of the donor shall be effective as a dispensation from collating donations made both before and after execution of said testament. [Acts 1986, No. 246, §1]

Art. 1233. The declaration that the gift or legacy is intended as an advantage or extra portion, may be made in other equivalent terms, provided they indicate, in an unequivocal manner, that such was the will of the donor.

Art. 1234. If, upon calculation of the value of advantages thus given, and of the other effects remaining in the succession, such remaining part should prove insufficient to give to the other children their legitimate portion, the donee would then be obliged to collate the sum by him received, as far as necessary to complete such portion, though he would wish to keep the donation, and renounce the inheritance; and in this calculation of the legitimate portion, the property given or bequeathed by the ascendants, not only to their children, but even to all other persons, whether relations or strangers, must be included.

Art. 1235. The right to demand collation is confined to descendants of the first degree who qualify as forced heirs, and only applies with respect to gifts made within the three years prior to the decedent's death, and valued as of the date of the gift. Any provision of the Civil Code to the contrary is hereby repealed. [Acts 1996, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 77, §1]

Art. 1236. [Repealed. Acts 1990, No. 147, §3, eff. July 1, 1990]

Art. 1237. If children, or other lawful descendants holding property or legacies subject to be collated, should renounce the succession of the ascendant, from whom they have received such property, they may retain the gift, or claim the legacy to them made, without being subject to any collation.

If, however, the remaining amount of the inheritance should not be sufficient for the legitimate portion of the other children, including in the succession of the deceased the property which the person renouncing would have collated, had he become heir, he shall then be obliged to collate up to the sum necessary to complete such legitimate portion.

Art. 1238. A. To make descendants liable to collation, as prescribed in the preceding Articles, they must appear in the quality of heirs to the succession of the ascendants from whom they immediately have received the gift or legacy.

B. Therefore, grandchildren, to whom a gift was made or a legacy left by their grandfather or grandmother, after the death of their father or mother, are obliged to collate, when they are called to the inheritance of the grandfather or grandmother, jointly with the other grandchildren, or by representation with their uncles or aunts, brothers or sisters of their father or mother, because it is presumed that their grandfather or grandmother had intended to make the gift, or leave the legacy by anticipation. [Acts 1990, No. 147, §1, eff. July 1, 1990; Acts 1995, No. 1180, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1996]

Art. 1239. A. But gifts made or legacies left to a grandchild by his grandfather or grandmother during the life of his father, are always reputed to be exempt from collation.

B. The father, inheriting from the grandfather, is not liable to collate the gifts or legacies left to his child. [Acts 1990, No. 147, §1, eff. July 1, 1990; Acts 1995, No. 1180, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1996]

Art. 1240. In like manner, the grandchild, when inheriting in his own right from the grandfather or grandmother, is not obliged to refund the gifts made to his father, even though he should have accepted the succession; but if the grandchild comes in only by right of representation, he must collate what had been given to his father, even though he should have renounced his inheritance.

Art. 1241. What has been said in the three preceding articles, of grandchildren inheriting from their grandfather or grandmother, must be understood of the great-grandchildren and other lawful descendants called to inherit from their ascendants, either in their own name or by right of representation.

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