Articles Posted in real estate law

How do you enforce real estate contracts in Probate Court (Probate Code section 850)? 
Underwood Law Firm, P.C.

Real estate contracts are an expansive field of both law and life. Sales, leases, options, and certainly wills can all fall under this broad category. Normally, once a contract is signed, parties can go to court to enforce them by filing a lawsuit. But if one of the parties has passed away, the transaction becomes…

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What Is a Real Estate Investment Trust (Corp. Code section 23000)?
Underwood Law Firm, P.C.

In California, a real estate investment trust is “any unincorporated association or trust formed to engage in business and managed by, or under the direction of, one or more trustees for the benefit of the holders or owners of transferable shares of beneficial interest in the trust estate and (1) that formed for the purpose…

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Is a Partition Action Exempt from Bankruptcy Proceedings (CCP § 715.050)? 
Underwood Law Firm, P.C.

Generally, a bankruptcy proceeding acts as a stay on the collection of debt as well as any acts needed to be taken to enforce a debt. The rules regarding partition actions in bankruptcy proceedings are codified in the Code of Civil Procedure section 715.050. Typically, whether a partition action is exempt from a bankruptcy proceeding…

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What is a disclaimer of interest (Probate Code § 278)? 
Underwood Law Firm, P.C.

When a loved one passes away, probate proceedings are hopefully not the first thing on their relatives’ minds. Probate is, however, an inevitability, even when a trust is present and effective. But inheritance is not always the blessing that the public conscious imagines it to be. The simple truth is that owning property in California…

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What is a Prejudgment Claim to Right of Possession (CCP § 415.46)?
Underwood Law Firm, P.C.

A Prejudgment Claim to Right of Possession is a form used for the purpose of avoiding third-party claims in an eviction/unlawful detainer action. The Prejudgment Claim to Right Possession is for the purpose of giving notice to any unnamed occupants of a subject property that an eviction action has been initiated. After a prejudgment claim…

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What is a Heggstad petition (Estate of Heggstad (1993) 16 Cal.App.4th 943)? 
Underwood Law Firm, P.C.

A Heggstad petition is a unique legal maneuver in probate court that a party can use to establish the existence of a trust. Normally, if a party wants to show that the property at issue is in a family trust, they have to produce evidence of a transfer of the property into the trust. (Prob.…

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What is an Accounting Action (CCP § 872.140)?
Underwood Law Firm, P.C.

An action for accounting is an equitable action seeking to determine the amount owed to the parties of an action when damages are uncertain. “An accounting is an equitable proceeding which is proper where there is an unliquidated and unascertained amount owing that cannot be determined without an examination of the debits and credits on…

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What is a Marvin Agreement (Marvin v. Marvin (1976) 18 Cal.3d 660)?
Underwood Law Firm, P.C.

A Marvin agreement is an implied or express contract made between two nonmarried cohabitants/partners regarding property rights during a romantic relationship. Generally, unmarried partners living together can enter a variety of contracts, including but not limited to pooling their earnings to share property equally, holding property as joint tenants or tenants in common, or keeping…

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What is a Deed of Trust? (CCP § 2924)
Underwood Law Firm, P.C.

A deed of trust is a commonly used mortgage document in California. Essentially, a deed of trust provides a lender with security for the repayment of the loan and effectively functions similarly to a mortgage. A deed of trust is a deed that transfers a legal interest in a piece of real property owned by…

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What is a TIC Agreement (Kapner v. Meadowland Ranch Assn. (2004) 116 Cal.App.4th 1182)
Underwood Law Firm, P.C.

A “TIC” Agreement is a contractual agreement between tenants in common to real property. Because each tenant in common is a co-owner of the property, these agreements can help spell out the rights of each, preventing future disputes over payment or occupation. And, if the dispute cannot be prevented, the agreement, acting as a binding…

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