They shall be appointed administrators of all intestate succession in their respective parishes when there is no surviving husband or wife or heir present or represented in the state.
The filing of the application of the public administrator for such appointment shall be advertised three times within ten days in a daily newspaper of general circulation in the parish, with notice to any person who may wish to oppose such application to file his opposition thereto within ten days of the date of the first advertisement. If no such opposition is filed timely, or if an opposition thereto is filed but after the trial thereof the court concludes that the opponent has no prior right to the appointment, the court shall appoint the public administrator as administrator of the intestate succession.