The public inventory shall be evidenced by the notary's proces verbal of the proceedings, subscribed by him, and signed by the appraisers, witnesses, and other persons who have attended. This proces verbal shall contain:
Art. 3133.Proces Verbal of Inventory
Book VI. Probate Procedure · Title III. Administration of Successions · Chapter 1. Qualification of Succession Representatives · Amendment history unavailable · Last verified July 30, 2026
In one sentenceArticle 3133 requires the notary's proces verbal of inventory -- the formal written record of the proceedings -- to be signed by the notary, appraisers, witnesses, and attendees, and to contain the participants' identities, the inventory's dates and locations, how it was conducted, itemized property and values, listed debts owed the estate, third-party property claims, and a recapitulation of total values.
Full Text of Art. 3133
(1) The names, surnames, domiciles, and qualities of the notary taking the inventory, of the witnesses thereto, of the appraisers who have valued the property, and of any other interested persons who have attended;
(2) The dates when and places where the inventory was taken;
(3) A description of the manner in which the inventory was taken;
(4) An adequate description of each item of property belonging to the estate and found in the parish where the inventory was taken, and the fair market value thereof estimated by the appraisers;
(5) An adequate description of all of the titles, account books, and written evidences of indebtedness due the estate, found during the taking of the inventory, and the amounts of the indebtedness, and the name, surname, and address of each debtor, as shown therein;
(6) An adequate description of any property owned in whole or in part by third persons, or claimed by third persons as having been left on loan, deposit, consignment, or otherwise; and
(7) A recapitulation of the aggregate value of all movable property, the aggregate value of all immovable property, and the total value of all property owned by the estate.
Plain-English Summary
The proces verbal of inventory is the written document that memorializes everything that happened during the inventory Article 3132 describes. It is subscribed by the notary and signed by the appraisers, witnesses, and any other persons who attended, turning the inventory-taking into a formal, evidentiary record rather than a private undertaking.
Article 3133 lists seven categories of content the proces verbal must contain. It identifies everyone involved, by name, domicile, and role. It records when and where the inventory took place, and describes the manner in which it was conducted. It provides an adequate description of each item of property found in that parish, along with the fair market value the appraisers assigned. It lists titles, account books, and written evidence of debts owed to the estate, including each debtor's identity. It describes property owned wholly or partly by third persons, or claimed as left on loan, deposit, or consignment. And it closes with a recapitulation of the aggregate value of movables, immovables, and the estate's total property.
Together, these requirements build the estate's baseline financial record, the document that later drives the amount of security a representative must furnish under Article 3151 and that stands, under Article 3135, as prima facie proof of everything it shows.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a proces verbal of inventory?
The notary's formal written record of the inventory proceedings, signed by the notary, appraisers, witnesses, and anyone else who attended, and containing detailed information about the property found and how it was valued.
What information must the proces verbal include?
The identities of everyone who participated, the dates and places of the inventory, a description of how it was conducted, itemized property and values, listed debts owed the estate, third-party property claims, and a recapitulation of total values.
Why does the inventory record property claimed by third persons?
Because property found in the decedent's possession is not always owned by the estate outright; some may belong to third persons or have been left on loan, deposit, or consignment, and the record notes those competing claims.
Source & verification. Article text is reproduced verbatim from
the Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure (legis.la.gov). Enacted by the Louisiana Legislature.
Last verified July 30, 2026.
· Official source
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