§1516. Transfer or payment of monetary proceeds of minerals or mineral products, rentals, accrued royalties, and other funds related to minerals or mineral contracts belonging or payable to deceased person; authority; discharge of holder

A. Upon proper authority any holder of monetary proceeds of minerals or mineral products, rentals, accrued royalties or other funds related to minerals or mineral products, belonging or payable to a deceased person, under the terms of a mineral lease or other contract, by operation of law or otherwise, may transfer or pay the same to the decedent's succession representatives, heirs, or the legal representatives of the heirs. The letters of the succession representative or the judgment recognizing and putting the heirs in possession, issued by a Louisiana court of competent jurisdiction, and accompanied by letters of tutorship or curatorship of the heirs who are not sui juris, shall constitute proper authority for making the transfer or payment which when so made shall be full protection to the holder. Conclusive proof to the holder of the letters or judgment and of the jurisdiction of the court rendering them shall result from copies thereof, duly certified.

B. Nothing contained in this section shall be construed as limiting the rights of a holder in making any transfer or payment under the terms and provisions of a mineral lease or other contract, or under existing law.

C. The term "holder" as used in this section means any natural person, corporation, association, partnership, receiver, tutor, curator, executor, administrator, fiduciary, or representative of any kind, in possession of the monetary proceeds of minerals or mineral products, rentals, accrued royalties or other funds related to minerals or mineral contracts, belonging or payable to a deceased person.

D. All laws or parts of laws in conflict herewith are hereby repealed. It is expressly provided however, that R.S. 30:105 through 108 shall not be repealed by the provisions of this section, nor shall this section be construed as altering or affecting the provisions of R.S. 47:2413.

Acts 1970, No. 153, §1.