Section 1215. When authorized to receive process or appear 1

The public administrator may be authorized by the court to receive
  process  or  other  notice  as  a  necessary  party  in  the   following
  proceedings:
    (a)  Any  proceeding  pending in the court where service of process or
  notice of or in behalf of any known or unknown persons  is  directed  by
  the  court  or where the court by order directs the public administrator
  to appear therein.
    (b) Every proceeding for the appointment of an  administrator  or  for
  the  probate  of  a  will  where it appears that the persons applying or
  named in the petition are not all of the distributees of the decedent or
  where it appears that such persons are related to the  decedent  in  the
  fourth degree of consanguinity or are more remotely related.
    (c)  Every  proceeding to effect distribution of moneys or property to
  be deposited or deposited for the  account  of  unknown  persons  or  of
  infants  or  incompetents, of known persons whose residences are unknown
  or of known persons whose shares were deposited pursuant to 2218. In any
  such proceeding when so authorized the  public  administrator  shall  be
  deemed an interested party.
    2.   In   all  such  proceedings  the  public  administrator,  in  his
  discretion, may take any action in behalf of such person or persons as a
  party interested might.
    3. Whenever a public administrator acts pursuant to  this  section  he
  shall  be allowed by the court his proper expenses and his counsel shall
  be allowed his reasonable fee. Such expenses and fee  shall  be  payable
  either  from the estate generally or from the shares or interests of the
  respective persons represented by the public administrator,  as  may  be
  directed by the court.