Before undertaking litigation over real estate in California, title insurance can help to provide clarity as to important ownership questions. Title insurance is not just nice to have, in many instances, the law specifically envisions that the parties will obtain a title report of some type. For example, the Partition Law specifically envisions that the…
Continue reading ›Under certain special circumstances, money can be deposited with the court to safeguard during lawsuits under Code of Civil Procedure sections 572 and 573. The justification for such a rule is that, if the court doesn’t protect the money, the other party may spend it, rendering a plaintiff’s victory somewhat hollow. However, there are several…
Continue reading ›What if parties do not appear in a lawsuit requesting partition in kind under the Partition of Real Property Act? Just as there are special provisions for defaulting parties with partitions by sale, so too are there unique rules where some defendants fail to appear in a partition in kind action. The text of the…
Continue reading ›It is an unfortunate fact that many marriages don’t make it out of the engagement stage. While this can be a difficult time for all involved, the situation can only become more dire when real property is involved. Commonly, one owner of real property will add their partner to the house’s title shortly before the…
Continue reading ›This is a continuation of our ongoing series on the Complete Guide to the Partition of Real Property Act. For complete comprehension, we would suggest starting from the beginning. As a quick summary, the Partition of Real Property Act is a law specific to California, passed in July 2022. (Stats 2022 Ch. 82 § 3…
Continue reading ›A declaration of non-monetary status is a special type of court filing reserved for trustees under a deed of trust. These trustees have limited powers, but are often named as defendants in lawsuits by plaintiffs seeking to ensure proper joinder. Of course, being named in a complaint carries with it several responsibilities, chief among these…
Continue reading ›How does the court appraise the property (CCP § 874.316)? As was noted previously, the court shall order an appraisal of the property once it determines that the parties are entitled to partition. (CCP § 874.316.) But how does that appraisal process work? Once the court orders the appraisal, it needs to appoint a disinterested and licensed…
Continue reading ›Civil Code section 1542 provides, “A general release does not extend to claims that the creditor or releasing party does not know or suspect to exist in his or her favor at the time of executing the release and that, if known by him or her, would have materially affected his or her settlement with…
Continue reading ›When does the Partition of Real Property Act apply (CCP § 874.313)? As noted previously, the Partition of Real Property Act applies to real property held in tenancy in common where there is no agreement in a record binding all the co-owners related to partition. (CCP § 874.311.) But does that mean its provisions are…
Continue reading ›No, not unless they want to convert their own, singular interest into two or more shares. The reason for this is that grantors in a deed can only convey what they already own. If two tenant in common co-owners want to make themselves joint tenants, then they can collectively convey their interests to themselves in…
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