8 Louisiana Laws That May Not Apply in Other States
June 29, 2016 @ 9:30 am
Louisiana’s legislative code has numerous distinctive laws that are related to removing certain animals from sanctuaries, voiding agreements, redhibition, handwritten wills and forced heirship. Although legislators in 49 states use common law, Louisiana is the only state with a legal code that is primarily based on civil law, which augments the effects of the interpretation of each law and downgrades the impact of legal precedence.
Redhibition
This legal concept was originally established in Napoleon’s legal code, which was initially unveiled in 1804. The law gives each buyer the ability to file a lawsuit if a product is defective. In general, the statute applies to a purchase as long as an item’s flaw was not initially apparent to the customer, yet the seller must be aware of the defect. Moreover, the buyer has to request repairs before submitting a lawsuit.
Wrestling Matches
Louisiana’s legislators have passed a law that banned fake wrestling matches, yet various statements indicated that real wrestling matches are legal in most cases. Furthermore, the legal code has a statute that prohibits individuals from mocking competitors during boxing matches. In 2014, the state’s governor also approved a bill that increases restrictions on fights that involve chickens.
Forced Heirship
This concept ensures that an individual’s closest relatives will receive portions of the citizen’s estate when the person passes away. If a person becomes an heir, the relative will also become responsible for the liabilities that are associated with the estate.
Medical Marijuana
During 2015, the use of medical marijuana became legal in Louisiana, and the state’s government passed a bill that substantially decreased penalties for citizens who possess cannabis. According to numerous reports, several organizations will likely begin to distribute medical marijuana to patients by June 2017.
Handwritten Wills
In some states, a living will may only be official if it has been notarized, yet according to Louisiana’s legislative code, a handwritten will is valid as long as the testator provided a signature and listed the date on which the will was created. In order to legally alter the will, the testator has to handwrite the modified clauses.
Usufruct
Established in Napoleon’s legal code, usufruct allows people to utilize the property of another citizen. Louisiana’s legislative code features a modified version of usufruct that lets owners legally gift the usage of their properties to individuals. A common example of usufruct could be the passing of property from parents to children after both parents are deceased. While living, the parents would utilize the property under usufruct law, which ultimately belongs to their children.
Rescinding an Agreement
Once a person signs a contract or makes a purchase, the individual may void the agreement if the price of a product is substantially higher than the item’s market value. The state’s civil code also has custom policies for real estate or products that are immovable.
Gambling in Louisiana
The state allows commercial gambling, many types of lotteries, contests for fundraisers and parimutuel gambling, which is a betting system where all bets are placed in a pool and split among winners without taxes or “house cuts.” The law fully permits betting that is associated with sports featuring racetracks of all types. However, the legislators do not let citizens engage in gambling that is related to other sports, such as baseball, football, basketball and soccer.
