72-16-211. Public administrator -- duty to investigate concerning tax -- compensation generally. (1) It shall be the duty of the public administrator, under the general supervision of the department of revenue and with the assistance of the county attorney, when required by the department or district judge, to investigate the estates of deceased persons within his county and to appear for and act in behalf of the county and state in the district court in such estates as the court may in its discretion deem necessary.
     (2) For such services the public administrator shall be entitled to 5% of the gross inheritance tax as determined in each such estate, to be paid by the county treasurer out of the inheritance tax funds upon an order of the district judge, provided that the minimum fee for each such estate shall not be less than $5 and that it shall not exceed $25; but in cases of unusual difficulty in estates of resident decedents where the tax exceeds $500, the district judge may allow the public administrator such additional compensation as he may deem just and reasonable.

     History: En. Sec. 17, Ch. 65, L. 1923; re-en. Sec. 10400.43, R.C.M. 1935; amd. Sec. 94, Ch. 391, L. 1973; R.C.M. 1947, 91-4443.