CHAPTER 4. ABANDONMENT OF ACTION

Art. 561. Abandonment in trial and appellate court

            A.(1) An action is abandoned when the parties fail to take any step in its prosecution or defense in the trial court for a period of three years, unless it is a succession proceeding:

            (a) Which has been opened;

            (b) In which an administrator or executor has been appointed; or

            (c) In which a testament has been probated.

            (2) This provision shall be operative without formal order, but, on ex parte motion of any party or other interested person by affidavit that states that no step has been timely taken in the prosecution or defense of the action, the trial court shall enter a formal order of dismissal as of the date of its abandonment. The sheriff shall serve the order in the manner provided in Article 1314 and shall execute a return pursuant to Article 1292.

            (3) A motion to set aside a dismissal may be made only within thirty days of the date of the sheriff's service of the order of dismissal. If the trial court denies a timely motion to set aside the dismissal, the clerk of court shall give notice of the order of denial pursuant to Article 1913(A) and shall file a certificate pursuant to Article 1913(D).

            (4) An appeal of an order of dismissal may be taken only within sixty days of the date of the sheriff's service of the order of dismissal. An appeal of an order of denial may be taken only within sixty days of the date of the clerk's mailing of the order of denial.

            B. Any formal discovery as authorized by this Code and served on all parties whether or not filed of record, including the taking of a deposition with or without formal notice, shall be deemed to be a step in the prosecution or defense of an action.

            C. An appeal is abandoned when the parties fail to take any step in its prosecution or disposition for the period provided in the rules of the appellate court.

            Amended by Acts 1966, No. 36, §1; Acts 1982, No. 186, §1; Acts 1983, No. 670, §1; Acts 1987, No. 149, §1; Acts 1997, No. 1221, §1, eff. July 1, 1998; Acts 2003, No. 545, §1; Acts 2007, No. 361, §1, eff. July 9, 2007; Acts 2023, No. 5, §1.