California Partition Law Blog

What is pre-judgment interest on an eminent domain award? (CCP § 1245.220)
Underwood Law Firm, P.C.

Pre-judgment interests are accrued interests on judgment amounts. Eminent domain is when the government “takes” private property for the public’s use and then owes fair and just compensation to the original private property owners. An eminent domain award is the court-ordered judgment amount that is based on the fair market value of the property owed…

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Can a guarantor in the property sue for partition?
Underwood Law Firm, P.C.

Unless the guarantor has an interest in the property, such as a joint tenancy, tenancy in common, or tenancy by the entirety, then no, a guarantor in the property can not sue for partition. This seems complicated, but if you break down that a guarantor simply acts as collateral against a property mortgage, and those…

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Can a co-owner lawfully adverse possess the other tenant’s interest in the property? (Civ. Code § 683)
Underwood Law Firm, P.C.

While it is possible for a co-owner to lawfully adversely possess the other tenant’s interest in the property under California law, in practice, it is quite difficult and cumbersome. If you co-own or are a co-tenant of a shared piece of real estate property, possession is not enough for the court to determine that the…

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Can a third party be joined in a family law proceeding to sell a property?
Underwood Law Firm, P.C.

Yes, a third party who has an interest in the property in question may “join” in a family law proceeding. In some specific cases, a third party must “join” the family law proceeding. California codified a third party’s ability to participate in a family law proceeding to assert their interest in real estate by creating…

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​​Can a property owner sue for inverse condemnation when the government refuses to permit development?
Underwood Law Firm, P.C.

In certain situations, it is possible for a property owner to sue the government for inverse condemnation when the government refuses to permit development and that refusal results in a “taking” under the United States constitution. If the city, state, or federal government refuses to permit development, it must take away all or substantially all…

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Can someone foreclose on a property during a partition action?
Underwood Law Firm, P.C.

While the brief answer is “yes,” the issue is a bit complicated, like many things in the real estate litigation world. Who is a proper party to a partition action? Generally, any person claiming an interest in a piece of real estate must be joined in the action in order to fully settle all issues…

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Can Rent Control Laws Prevent a Partition Eviction? (Civ. Code § 1632)
Underwood Law Firm, P.C.

No, rent control laws cannot prevent a partition eviction. However, the answer is a bit more complicated than one might think. There are very specific rules and regulations in California that regulate both rent control laws and partition action evictions. Read on to learn more. What is Rent Control? While the benefits of rent control…

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Does an equitable owner have a right to partition property? (CCP § 872.210)
Underwood Law Firm, P.C.

When a title owner sues to partition the property, then the matter is relatively straightforward. On the other hand, when a person claims to be an owner of the property but does not appear on the title, can they still sue to partition the property? Who can sue for partition? A legal titleholder—as well as…

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What types of uses are favored for Surplus Land? (Gov. Code § 54220)
Underwood Law Firm, P.C.

Everyone agrees that there is a shortage of affordable housing in California. There are many possible solutions to this problem, one of the solutions was the Legislature’s passage of AB 1486. What is the purpose of the Surplus Land Act? Government Code section 54220 sets the stage for the other provisions of the Surplus Land…

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Can You Recover from Pre-Condemnation Activity? (First English Evangelical Lutheran Church of Glendale v. Los Angeles County (1987) 482 U.S. 304, 316-322)
Underwood Law Firm, P.C.

The acquisition of private property for eminent domain usually proceeds on a long timeline. Before the government actually uses eminent domain to acquire private property, there is a substantial amount of planning. During the pre-condemnation period, which can stretch for years, a governmental entity often has the opportunity to make land use decisions about the…

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