A. The heirs of an intestate decedent shall be recognized by the court, and sent into possession of his property without an administration of the succession, on the ex parte petition of all of the heirs, when all of them are competent and accept the succession, and the succession is relatively free of debt. A succession shall be deemed relatively free of debt when its only debts are administration expenses, mortgages not in arrears, and debts of the decedent that are small in comparison with the assets of the succession.
B. The surviving spouse in community of an intestate decedent shall be recognized by the court on ex parte petition as entitled to the possession of an undivided half of the community, and of the other undivided half to the extent that he has the usufruct thereof, without an administration of the succession, when the succession is relatively free of debt, as provided above.
Amended by Acts 1979, No. 711, §3, eff. Jan. 1, 1980; Acts 1997, No. 1421, §3, eff. July 1, 1999.