underwood-can-you-abandon-real-estate-300x300Generally, an owner can never legally “abandon” title to property. (Gerhard v. Stephens (1968) 442 P.2d 692, 713.) Instead, abandonment can only be found in situations dealing with personal property. Yet when the property interests in real property are in the nature of incorporeal hereditaments, the California Supreme Court has found that those interests can be abandoned. 

For a person to abandon property, or a right in property, there needs to be a nonuse accompanied by unequivocal and decisive acts on the part of the nonuser clearly showing an intention to abandon. (People v. Southern Pacific Co. (1916) 158 P. 177, 180.) Accordingly, in order to find abandonment, a trier of fact must find that the owner clearly and convincingly demonstrated the necessary intent to abandon. (Gerhard v. Stephens (1968) 442 P.2d 692, 713.)

What is an Incorporeal Hereditament?

underwood-penal-code-496-business-disputes-300x300Recently, the California Supreme Court clarified that California Penal Code section 496 applies to business disputes. This is significant as Section 496 outlines penalties for someone who buys or receives stolen property, or property obtained through theft or extortion. (Penal Code § 496.) Of particular concern is 496, subdivision (c), which allows triple damages and attorneys’ fees as available remedies for someone who converts stolen property. (Id.) Over the years, there has been a longstanding debate in California on whether Penal Code section 496 applies to business disputes. 

On the one hand, California appellate courts held that section 496 did apply to business disputes according to the wording of the statute. On the other hand, California appellate courts also held that section 496 did not apply to business disputes involving theft through fraud or misrepresentation. A recent California Supreme Court case finally resolved the split.

The California Appellate Court Split

underwood-what-is-ouster-300x300What is an Ouster (Civ. Code § 843)?

An ouster occurs when one tenant wrongful dispossesses or excludes another cotenant or cotenants from the common property. (Zaslow v. Kroenert (1946) 29 Cal.2d 541, 548.) Regardless of whether individuals share property as joint tenants or tenants in common, the property rights of cotenants are usually the same regarding possession. (12 Witkin, Summary 11th Real Prop § 41 (2023).) Each cotenant is entitled to share possession of the entire property and cannot be excluded from any part of the property by the other cotenant. (Id.) 

What Does an Ouster Require?

underwood-when-should-you-change-lawyer-300x300Generally, when obtaining representation for yourself and your property interests, you must make sure that your interests are indeed being protected and your wishes respected as much as legally possible. The moment it becomes clear that your attorney is not acting accordingly, it may be time to change your lawyer. 

What You Should Expect

You are the best advocate for yourself, so there will be things that will make it abundantly clear to you whether it is time to change lawyers. From the beginning, your attorney should provide you with a clear roadmap and plan for the litigation. Your lawyer should communicate with you about how they see the dispute, and their plan to win your case.  

underwood-code-lis-pendens-300x300The California Partition Law begins at Code of Civil Procedure section 872.010 and ends at Code of Civil Procedure section 874.323. Section 872.250 outlines the procedure for a plaintiff seeking a partition of real property to record a lis pendens with the county office. A lis pendens gives notice to any future persons who may acquire an interest in the property that there is a pending lawsuit on the real property which could affect the real property’s title. This statute is important because a lis pendens could have consequences in future transactions involving the affected real property. 

Code of Civil Procedure section 872.250 states:

(a) Immediately upon filing the complaint, the plaintiff shall record a notice of the pendency of the action in the office of the county recorder of each county in which any real property described in the complaint is located.

underwood-responsible-injuries-joint-property-300x300Generally, every owner of property is liable for injuries on their property when it is not in a reasonably safe condition. (Cody F. v. Falletti (2001) 92 Cal.App.4th 1232.) If a party was a coowner and jointly in possession of the premises, they would be equally responsible for the condition of the premises and equally liable for injury. (Mayo v. White (1986) 178 Cal.App.3d 1083. 

Civil Code section 1714 states that everyone is responsible for an injury occasioned to another by his or her want of ordinary care or skill in the management of his or her property or person, except so far as the latter has, willfully or by want of ordinary care, brought the injury upon himself or herself.

Even if someone has a small interest in the property and they exercise no control over the management of the property, they still will be liable. (Davert v. Larson (1985) 163 Cal.App.3d 407.) This is because the courts believe relieving individual owners in common of liability would eliminate any motivation of any party to exercise due care in the management and control of commonly owned property. (Id.) Therefore, owners may then be found to be “jointly and severally liable” for a person’s injury. 

underwood-understanding-real-estate-contracts-300x300If you’re venturing into a real estate transaction and are daunted by the contracts, you’re certainly not alone. The jargon and intricate legal parlance can often make these contracts seem more complex than they actually are. Yet, the good news is that, armed with some guidance and understanding, these contracts become much less intimidating. Our friends at Cohen and Cohen delve deeper into the realm of real estate contracts below.

Key Aspects of a Real Estate Contract

Real estate contracts can be intricate and can have significant variation based on local laws and the specific details of the transaction. Nevertheless, there are several fundamental components that most real estate contracts should encompass to be deemed valid and enforceable:

underwood-ccp-joinder-property-300x300The California Partition Law begins at Code of Civil Procedure section 872.010 and ends at Code of Civil Procedure section 874.323. Section 872.240 allows for personal property to be partitioned with real property. The purpose of Section 872.240 is to give parties an avenue to partition their personal property alongside their real property if they want to. 

Code of Civil Procedure section 872.240 states

Real and personal property may be partitioned in one action.

underwood-ccp-partition-complaint-300x300The California Partition Law begins at Code of Civil Procedure section 872.010 and ends at Code of Civil Procedure section 874.323. Section 872.230 outlines the necessary information a plaintiff must have in their complaint. The point of the statute is for plaintiffs to file a proper complaint with all of the content required to initiate a partition lawsuit. If the party files an improper complaint, the court could dismiss the case at the outset. 

Code of Civil Procedure section 872.230 states

The complaint shall set forth:

underwood-home-equity-sales-300x300Frequently, when homeowners are dealing with financial difficulties, equity purchasers may induce homeowners to sell their homes for a fraction of the price. An “equity purchaser” is anyone who acquires title to any residence in foreclosure, with some exceptions. (Cal. Civ. Code § 1695.1(a)). The California legislature believed that homeowners were losing their homes to foreclosure due to “fraud, deception, and unfair dealing by home equity purchasers.” (Cal. Civ. Code § 1695). To combat these instances of deceit, the Legislature implemented the Home Equity Sales Contract Act, found in Title 5 of the California Code of Civil Procedure, Chapter 2.5, sections 1695.1-1695.16.

The goals of the Act are to provide homeowners with the information they need to make an informed decision regarding the sale of their home to an equity purchaser, to require that sales agreements be in writing, to protect the public against deceit and financial hardship, to encourage fair dealing in the sale and purchase of homes in foreclosure, to prohibit homeowners from being misled, to restrict unfair contract terms, to give homeowners a reasonable opportunity to rescind sales to equity purchasers, and to preserve home equities for the homeowners of California. (Cal. Civ. Code § 1695).

What Does the Home Equity Sales Contract Act Restrict?

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