The proces verbal of a public inventory returned into court as provided in Article 3134 shall be accepted as prima facie proof of all matters shown therein, without homologation by the court. An interested person at any time may traverse the proces verbal of a public inventory by contradictory motion served upon the notary and the person at whose instance the inventory was made. If a descriptive list is amended or successfully traversed a copy of the amended or traversed proces verbal shall be filed with the Collector of Revenue.
Art. 3135.Proces Verbal of Inventory Prima Facie Proof; Traverse
Book VI. Probate Procedure · Title III. Administration of Successions · Chapter 1. Qualification of Succession Representatives · Last amended 1973 · Last verified July 30, 2026
In one sentenceArticle 3135 lets a returned proces verbal of a public inventory stand as prima facie proof of everything it shows, without needing court homologation, while allowing any interested person to traverse it at any time by contradictory motion served on the notary and the person who requested the inventory.
Full Text of Art. 3135
Amendment History
Amended by Acts 1972, No. 326, §2, eff. 1/1/1973.
Plain-English Summary
Once the proces verbal of a public inventory has been returned into court under Article 3134, it does not need a separate court order approving it to have legal effect. Article 3135 makes it prima facie proof of everything it shows, meaning it is presumed accurate unless and until someone successfully challenges it, with no homologation step required first.
That presumption is not absolute. An interested person can traverse the proces verbal, formally disputing its accuracy, at any time. Traversing it requires a contradictory motion, an adversarial filing that has to be served on both the notary who conducted the inventory and the person at whose request the inventory was made, giving both a chance to defend the document's accuracy.
If a traverse succeeds and the proces verbal is corrected, or if it is otherwise amended, a copy of the amended or traversed version has to be filed with the collector of revenue, keeping that office's record consistent with the corrected inventory.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a succession inventory need court approval to be valid?
No. Article 3135 makes the proces verbal of a public inventory prima facie proof of its contents once returned into court, without a separate homologation proceeding.
What does it mean to traverse a proces verbal of inventory?
It means formally disputing the accuracy of what the inventory shows, through a contradictory motion rather than an informal objection.
Who has to be served if I want to dispute the inventory?
Both the notary who took the inventory and the person at whose instance it was taken must be served with the contradictory motion.
What happens if a traverse succeeds?
The proces verbal is amended to reflect the correction, and a copy of the amended or traversed version has to be filed with the collector of revenue.
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
Also known as: traverse proces verbal of inventory LouisianaArticle 3135 Louisianaprima facie proof succession inventorydisputing accuracy of succession inventoryno homologation required inventory Louisiana