Improvements & Repairs Archives

What Information Should a Co-owner Gather for a Partition Action

In a partition action, gathering evidence to substantiate improvements or to prove your opposing party wrong is crucial. This evidence can significantly impact the offsets awarded and the credibility of your case. In this article, seasoned partition attorneys at Talkov Law share the variety of evidence that co-owners preparing for a partition may want to … Read More

Overestimation of Contributions in Co-ownership Disputes - Talkov Law

Overestimation of Contribution Bias in Co-ownership

Co-owning property with someone else can feel like a partnership—until it’s time to divide what’s yours. Disputes often arise because people tend to believe they contributed more than their fair share. This isn’t always intentional. It’s often due to something called overestimation of contribution bias, a common psychological tendency where people remember their own efforts … Read More

Avoiding Double Counting Errors in Partition Actions: A Common Pitfall in Real Estate Dispute Accounting

Partition actions, which resolve disputes between co-owners of real estate, often involve detailed accounting of costs, contributions, and reimbursements. Despite the best efforts of partition attorneys and courts, one common error that can significantly impact the fairness of a partition judgment is the double counting error. This occurs when costs or contributions are improperly included … Read More

Can I Make Improvements to a Property in a Partition?

Can You Make Property Improvements During a Partition?

While you may want to make improvements to a co-owned property, you may want to consider the timing in relation to when you file a partition. This article will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of allocating funds for property improvements depending on where you are in filing a partition action. Should You Make Improvements Before … Read More

Recovering Repairs and Improvements in a Partition Action

Co-owner often seek to recover their unequal payments relating to the repairs and improvements to the co-owned property in a partition action. While the law sometimes conflates repairs and improvements, the law favors improvements, but may not always allow ordinary repairs to be recovered in a partition action. The Law on Recovery of Repairs and … Read More

Partition Referee Reports on Offsets and Accounting Talkov Law Partition Attorneys

Partition Referee Reports on Offsets & Accounting

Other than forcing the sale of the property through an interlocutory judgment under CCP § 872.720, perhaps the most hotly contested issues in a California partition action are the offsets whereby one co-owner alleges that they have paid more than their fractional share of costs for the property, thereby seeking to recover an excessive down … Read More

Can I Recover for Time and Labor on Property Improvements and Management in a California Partition Action?

In a California partition action, certain partition offsets may be recoverable where one party made a unequal contribution to the property. Indeed, the rule is that: “The court may, in all cases, order allowance, accounting, contribution, or other compensatory adjustment among the parties according to the principles of equity.” [1]California Code of Civil Procedure § … Read More

CCP 873.220 Allotment of Improvements Talkov Law

Code of Civil Procedure 873.220 CCP – Allotment of Improvements (Partition In-Kind)

California Code of Civil Procedure 873.220 is the California partition statute that determines how a property will be divided in a partition in-kind so as to embrace improvements made to the property by that party. The statute provides that: As far as practical, and to the extent it can be done without material injury to … Read More

Reimbursement for Improvements in Partition Actions

Compensation for Improvements When Ending Co-Ownership of Real Property California law allows for compensation for improvements made by one co-owner in partition actions. However, the circumstances in which an offset will be awarded vary with courts also creating varying rulings as to the measure of damages in such an offset between the out-of-pocket cost, the … Read More

CCP 873.850 Continuance of action between parties if proceeds not allocated; determination Talkov Law

Code of Civil Procedure 873.850 – Continuance of Action Between Parties if Proceeds Not Allocated; Determination (Partition Actions)

California Code of Civil Procedure 873.850 is the California partition statute that allows the court to allocate the proceeds of sale through an accounting of offsets, inclusions, and other claims between the parties. The statute provides that: When the proceeds of the sale belonging to persons who are parties to the action, whether known or … Read More