La. Stat. Ann. § R.S. 40:580.4
Complaints or orders; service; posting
Operative Text
§580.4. Complaints or orders; service; posting A. Complaints or orders issued by a public officer pursuant to an ordinance adopted under this Part shall be served upon persons either personally or by registered mail. If the whereabouts of the persons are unknown and cannot be ascertained by the public officer by the use of reasonable diligence and the public officer makes an affidavit to that effect, the complaint or order may be served by publication once each week for two successive weeks in a newspaper printed and published in the municipality, or, in the absence of such a newspaper, in one printed and published in the parish and circulating in the municipality in which the dwellings are located. B. A copy of the complaint or order shall be posted in a conspicuous place on the premises affected by the complaint or order. A copy shall also be filed in the mortgage office of the parish in which the dwelling is located. This filing of the complaint has the same force and effect as the filing of lis pendens notices.
Under La. R.S. § 40:580.4, when a public officer issues a housing complaint or order, the law sets out specific methods for delivering that notice to affected parties and for making the action part of the public record. Service must be made personally or by registered mail, but if a person cannot be located after reasonable effort, notice may instead be published in a local newspaper for two consecutive weeks. A copy of the complaint or order must also be posted visibly on the affected property and filed in the parish mortgage office, where it carries the same legal weight as a lis pendens notice — meaning it puts the world on notice that the property is subject to a legal proceeding.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Property owners and managers subject to a housing complaint or order issued under La. R.S. § 40:580.4 should be aware that such orders are not only delivered directly but are also posted on the property and recorded in the parish mortgage office. Because the filing carries lis pendens effect, it can affect title searches, financing, and property transfers until the matter is resolved. Operators who maintain current contact information with local authorities and keep properties in compliance generally reduce the risk of encountering these formal notice procedures.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
La. R.S. § 40:580.4 establishes that tenants and other affected persons are entitled to formal notice of any housing complaint or order, whether delivered in person, by registered mail, or — if the person cannot be located — through newspaper publication. A posted copy on the premises and a public filing in the parish mortgage office mean that complaints are part of the official record and not easily overlooked or concealed. Tenants who believe a complaint or order has been improperly served, or who want to understand the status of a recorded housing action affecting their dwelling, may wish to consult a tenant-rights organization or review the parish mortgage records directly.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 20, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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