California Partition Law Blog

What happens when you pay someone else’s property taxes? 
Underwood Law Firm, P.C.

Under California law, paying someone’s property taxes does not automatically grant ownership of the property. In California, paying someone else’s taxes, even if done in good faith, is considered a gesture of goodwill or a means of avoiding a tax lien, but no matter the motive, payment does not transfer legal ownership.  If, however, individuals…

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Can you remove someone from a deed without their knowledge?
Underwood Law Firm, P.C.

Owning property can come in different forms of ownership which grants you different rights. If you acquire an interest in property by sale or inheritance you may end up holding a percentage property interest while another person holds the other part of that interest. When co-owning property with someone, both of your names are on…

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Who Manages an LLC?
Underwood Law Firm, P.C.

In California, Limited Liability Companies (“LLC”) are either managed by their members or designated managers, depending on how it is structured. These two kinds of management structures are the primary approaches to LLC management in California and are known as the (1) Member-Managed and (2) Manager-Managed structures. In member-managed LLCs, members are actively involved in…

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What is the “Internal Affairs Doctrine”?
Underwood Law Firm, P.C.

The internal affairs doctrine indicates what state’s law is applicable to a corporation or limited liability company’s (LLC) internal affairs. This is important in adjudicating any corporate disputes like breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty or other lawsuits that might arise involving business and corporations. What is a corporation? A corporation is a legal…

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What is Commercial Litigation?
Underwood Law Firm, P.C.

Commercial Litigation is the process used to resolve legal disputes arising from business transactions and relationships. As an area of law, commercial litigation encompasses a wide range of issues including business torts, antitrust claims, and intellectual property disputes. These claims typically arise out of breaches of contract, disputes over products and services, and financial disagreements.…

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Are Wills Public Records? (Prob. Code § 8200)
Underwood Law Firm, P.C.

An important part of end-of-life preparation or just future planning is creating a will. A will is a document that dictates what your final intentions are regarding your assets and property. (Estate of Lopes (1984) 152 Cal.App.3d 302, 305.) Because of how a will determines inheritance and any future interest people may have in your…

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Can You “Abandon” a Partnership? (Corp. Code, § 16801.)
Underwood Law Firm, P.C.

Yes. In California the legal process of “abandoning” a partnership is called partnership dissolution. Partnership dissolution is the legal process of ending a business partnership, either voluntarily or involuntarily. Reasons for dissolution include completion of business goals, a partner’s death or incapacity, or the partners’ mutual agreement. The Uniform Partnership Act (“UPA”) governs partnerships and their…

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What is Filial Responsibility? (Fam. Code § 4400)
Underwood Law Firm, P.C.

It seems logical that a parent has a legal and moral duty to care for their children, but is there an inverse duty? Filial responsibility is the responsibility for a child to take care of their parents. This is important if you have a parent in need of support because failing to provide help may…

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Can jointly owned property be sold by one owner?
Underwood Law Firm, P.C.

Joint ownership of property carries a significant number of rights with it. However, a joint owner cannot sell the property without permission from other co-owners. If one co-owner wants to sell or encumber the entire property and the other co-owner disagrees this can cause conflict. Outside of marriage, property is usually owned as a tenancy…

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What is a “Partition In Kind”?
Underwood Law Firm, P.C.

Partition is the legal procedure used to divide property among co-owners, often used when co-owners disagree about the property’s sale or division. In California, partition can be achieved through multiple methods: (1) Partition In Kind; (2) Partition by Sale; and (3) Partition by Appraisal. This article only explores Partition In Kind’s specific purpose and procedure…

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