Articles Posted in property ownership

Yes. When co-owners of property decide they want to go their separate ways but cannot come to an agreement on a buyout or reimbursements, they can institute a partition action and have the court system solve the problem for them. The presence of a life estate, however, substantially complicates this process. Additional evidentiary showings are…

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…

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…

When there is so much real estate to buy in California, it may not be clear why anyone would benefit from purchasing surplus land in the first instance. After all, it requires going through a negotiation process with a public entity and may take longer than other land purchases. There are some drawbacks to buying…

In many ways, partition actions are relatively straightforward. Generally, in a partition action, the two property owners cannot agree on its use, and one of the owners asks the court to sell the property so each can go their separate ways. The question arises of whether one of the two persons actually owns the property…

The revised Surplus Land Act contains negotiation requirements to encourage the sale of surplus public land. Also, the law makes it more likely that the land will ultimately be developed for as much housing as possible. Prior to entering negotiations, however, AB 1486 requires that the agency selling the surplus land must first give notice.…

For many of us, real estate is our most valuable asset and the thing that we rely on to provide security for retirement. It is also our passion where we can use our creativity to make our mark on the world. When we receive notice that it may be the subject of an eminent domain…

The purpose of this post is to discuss how the proceeds of a partition action are divided between the owners of the property. This post will address the general rule for partition actions, address common instances, and provide some insight for anyone going through the process. The first thing to know about partition actions is…

At some point or another, it becomes necessary to have “the talk” and “define the relationship” within a business. While the thought of defining business roles may make some people nervous, not having a conversation is a source of even greater anxiety when the relationship involves an investment, business venture, or development project. The problem,…

What is the Eminent Domain Process? The eminent domain process begins with an environmental review, negotiations with property owners, a hearing before a public entity, and then eventually, an eminent domain lawsuit. After some preliminary negotiations, a public entity will generally hold a hearing on something called a “Resolution of Necessity.” This is a formal…