Adverse possession legal advice needed, LA.

[Jeremiah Helg]

My brother lives near an abandoned property that has been vacant for 10 years now. I was able to identify the owner via emailing the tax assessor for our parish and have mailed 2 letters both to their current address and the abandoned property's address. So far no one has contacted me, and I've been looking into adverse possession laws in my state. I'm mainly curious if I were to pay the property taxes for the property would I be able to cover the risk of them asserting possession after I have paid the taxes? (E.g. Is it possible to work with a lawyer to get in writing that if the property owner claims ownership of the property that I am entitled to the reimbursement of the funds I spent paying off the taxes?) 

I am actively trying to reach out to the owner, not trying to take what hasn't already been abandoned. Just want to clarify that. 

[Clint Shelley]

Paying taxes is not adverse possession. You haven't possessed anything. If you're trying to purchase your way into ownership via the unpaid tax route, that's another matter. To adverse possess, you need to fence of and notoriously defend that property against others and most especially the true owner for the requset time period. Likely 20 years. Then file suit for court to recognize your ownership has truly ripened into title. 

Clint