Letter written on the 27th of Fructidor, year eight of the Republic from the Minister of Justice, André Joseph Abrial, to the government commissioner at the Court of First Instance at Versailles, responding to a question about which of the courts or prefecture councils are responsible for repossessing estates that have fallen into disuse and liquidating debts, in order to clarify the demarcation between administrative power and judicial authority. He states that the government's repossession of property should be carried out by administrative authorities when the heirs are not aware, so the property does not fall into disrepair. If heirs make a claim on the property, the responsibility falls to the courts to rule on the case. Abrial also states that the liquidation of debts follows the same demarcation of authority to avoid the expense of a judicial investigation, drawing a line between clear-cut cases and debts whose legitimacy is in question.