Articles Posted in Partition By Sale

What is a Motion to Determine Title in a Quiet Title Action? (CCP § 760.030)
Underwood Law Firm, P.C.

A motion to determine title is a motion to the court requesting that the court establish title to a piece of real property. Typically, a motion to determine title shows up in the court as a quiet title action. A quiet title action is brought when a litigant seeks to establish that they have an…

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Can Guardians or Conservators file partition claims? (CCP § 872.710(c))
Underwood Law Firm, P.C.

Yes, but only in specific circumstances. When thinking of lawsuits, most people associate them with individuals. John may sue Mary for battery, for example. But this isn’t always the case. A large part of the law is devoted to virtual representation because some people, like minors, simply cannot file suit. This is where guardians and…

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What are the Steps in the Partition Process? (CCP § 872.210)
Underwood Law Firm, P.C.

When there are two or more owners of a piece of real property who are unable to come to an agreement on how to divide the property, any co-owner of the subject property may petition the court to partition the property. This is known as a partition action. Generally, the decision of a court to…

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Can you partition trust property? (CCP § 873.840(c))
Underwood Law Firm, P.C.

In California, property subject to a trust can be partitioned, though with some additional wrinkles to the regular partition process. Because trusts can often involve successive estates with future and present property interests, litigants should take care to understand the law regarding trusts before beginning such an action. At Underwood Law Firm, our attorneys are…

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Are Tenant-in-Common Agreements Constitutional? (Tom v. City and County of San Francisco (2004) 120 Cal.App.4th 674.)
Underwood Law Firm, P.C.

Co-ownership of property brings with it many rights and duties under the law. These rights and duties can vary depending on whether co-owners hold property as tenants in common or joint tenants; these are the two most popular forms of joint ownership in the state. Regardless of the ownership scheme, however, both forms of cotenancy…

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Is there a Statute of Limitations on Partition Actions? (CCP § 318)
Underwood Law Firm, P.C.

In most cases, no. Instead, the statute of limitations most frequently bars a partition action when a party’s rights to the property have lapsed due to an ouster. What is a Partition Action? A partition action is an action brought by a co-owner of a piece of real property against another co-owner, seeking to divide…

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What is a Partition by Appraisal? (CCP § 873.910)
Underwood Law Firm, P.C.

A partition by appraisal is an alternative method of partition that occurs when the parties to a partition action agree to have the subject property partitioned by appraisal. With the Partition of Real Property Act taking effect in 2023, almost every partition action moving forward will involve a Partition by Appraisal. As such, the rules…

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A Guide to California Joint Tenancy (Milian v. De Leon (1986) 181 Cal.App.3d 1185)
Underwood Law Firm, P.C.

“Joint tenancy” is a phrase that most people associate with the co-ownership of a property. And indeed, this is correct. Joint tenancy is a form of co-ownership in California, second only to tenancies-in-common in terms of popularity. But just because the words “joint tenancy” are used in a deed or other property-related document does not…

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What is an Interlocutory Judgement? (CCP § 872.720.)
Underwood Law Firm, P.C.

In California, in many partition actions, the court may enter an interlocutory judgment of partition, whereby there is an entry of judgment for partition. As opposed to a final judgment, an interlocutory judgment is a temporary judgment that is issued during the litigation of a case rather than after trial. In general, interlocutory judgments are…

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What is a Full Credit Bid? (CCP § 873.630)
Underwood Law Firm, P.C.

Even when a party finally secures a judgment of partition, the property itself must still be sold (or partitioned in another way). This raises a brand-new set of issues for litigants as they attempt to figure out the terms of sale, when the property should be sold, and, most importantly, the asking price. But sometimes,…

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