re: Just bought 40 acres

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Just curious, a landowner does not own the mineral rights to his own land in Louisiana?

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If you have complete ownership, but many people reserve the mineral rights on sale - one must read the sale documents very carefully. This is especially true of larger tracts of rural land. As Louisiana allows, in the civilian tradition, the separation of usus, fructus and abusus. We also have servitudes (rather than rights of way).

For example, a couple can donate their home to their children, but reserve a lifetime ususfruct (or, perhaps a lifetime right of habitation), which allows them to live in the home until they die or are no longer capable of living on their own. This takes the whole - "Medicaid makes you sell your home" situation out, if done at least 5 years before Medicaid is needed.

Wiki article on usufruct