§380.95. Donations and loans; disposition of property

A. The Department of State and the board, jointly or separately, may solicit and accept funds, governmental grants, donations, and contributions of lands, buildings, monies, artifacts, relics, audio and video recordings, motion picture film, works of art, or other property on behalf of and as additions to the Mansfield Female College Museum either in the form of loans or in the form of donations inter vivos or mortis causa, and the Department of State may acquire them by purchase, lease, or otherwise, subject to the terms, conditions, or limitations contained in the instrument by which such property is acquired. However, the board may enter into any and all contracts with any person, lender, or donor that it may deem fit, proper, and necessary to accept and receive such lands, buildings, monies, artifacts, relics, audio and video recordings, motion picture film, works of art, or other property on behalf of and as additions to the Mansfield Female College Museum. The museum may serve as the beneficiary of any public trust heretofore or hereafter created for such purpose pursuant to the provisions of R.S. 9:2341 et seq.

B. The board is granted the authority of deaccession with respect to any collection of the Mansfield Female College Museum and, for such purpose, is exempted from laws relative to the sale or disposal of surplus property. The board shall establish policies and procedures necessary to carry out this authority in an orderly manner.

C.(1) Any property which has been deposited with the Mansfield Female College Museum, by loan or otherwise, and which has been held by the museum for more than ten years, and to which no person has made claim shall be deemed to be abandoned and, notwithstanding the provisions of Chapter 1 of Title XII of Book III of the Louisiana Civil Code, shall become the property of the museum, provided that Paragraph (2) of this Subsection has been complied with.

(2)(a) At least once each week for two consecutive weeks, the board shall cause to be published in at least one newspaper of general circulation in the parish of DeSoto a notice and listing of the property.

(b) The notice shall contain:

(i) The name and last known address, if any, of the last known owner or depositor of the property.

(ii) A description of the property.

(iii) A statement that if proof of claim is not presented by the claimant to the board and if the claimant's right to receive such property is not established to the satisfaction of the board within sixty-five days from the date of the second published notice, the property will be deemed to be abandoned and shall become the property of the Mansfield Female College Museum.

(3) If no valid claim has been made to the property within sixty-five days from the date of the second published notice, title to the property shall vest in the Mansfield Female College Museum free from all claims.

Acts 2003, No. 592, §1, eff. upon appropriation of funds; Acts 2004, No. 229, §1.

NOTE: See Acts 2003, No. 592, §§3 and 4, relative to conditions for transfer of Women's College Museum to Dept. of State, termination of authority for transfer, and effectiveness of transfer.

NOTE: See Acts 2004, No. 229, §3(A), relative to changing museum name and §3(B) relative to Acts 2004, No. 229, not affecting Acts 2003, No. 592, §§3 and 4, relative to potential nullity of and prohibited actions under Acts 2003, No. 592.