Art. 4273.Appointment of Agent

Article 4273 addresses what happens when the person responsible for a minor's affairs is not reachable within the state. A tutor who is a nonresident, or who is about to leave the state permanently, must execute a power of attorney appointing a resident of Louisiana to receive service of process in any action brought against the tutor in that capacity, and may also authorize that agent to represent the tutor in tutorship matters more broadly, not merely to receive papers.

The rule is more flexible for a tutor who remains domiciled in Louisiana but is only temporarily away. That tutor may make the same kind of appointment voluntarily, for either or both purposes, without the mandatory obligation that applies to a nonresident or a tutor permanently departing the state.

The power of attorney has to be filed in the tutorship proceeding itself, keeping it part of the court record rather than a private arrangement outside the case. Failing to comply when the appointment is mandatory is itself a ground for removal under Article 4234, underscoring how seriously the Code treats keeping an open channel for reaching the tutor.