San Jose Partition Lawyer

Partition Actions in San Jose

San Jose is the largest city in Northern California and the 10th largest city in the United States. It is located in the heart of Silicon Valley, the world’s leading hub for technology and innovation. San Jose is home to many of the world’s leading tech companies, including Apple, Google, and Adobe. The city is also known for its vibrant culture, diverse population, and beautiful scenery. San Jose is a great place to live, work, and play, with plenty of attractions, restaurants, and entertainment options.

According to Zillow, the median home value in San Jose, California is $1,072,400 as of 2021. The population of the San Jose area of California is 1,030,119.

Experienced Real Estate Partition Action Attorneys Serving San Jose

Talkov Law’s attorneys serving Santa Clara County are exceptionally experienced in the area of California partition actions. California partition actions provide a legal mechanism for co-owners of real property to divide the property among themselves. The partition statutes allow a co-owner to file a lawsuit in court to have the property divided, either physically or by awarding each co-owner a certain percentage of the property’s value. The court will then order the property to be divided according to the co-owners’ wishes. The partition statutes also provide that if the court finds that a physical division of the property is not feasible, it may order the property to be sold and the proceeds divided among the co-owners.

Our team of partition attorneys can assist co-owners with frequently asked questions about partitions, such as:

• Do I need to go to court to win a partition action? While the partition action must be filed with the court, partition actions rarely involve a trial in which the co-owners appear at court. This means it is extremely unlikely that you will need to step foot in a courtroom. Most partition work is done by motion practice involving tentative rulings with little interaction between the court and the attorneys, let alone the co-owners.
• Who pays for a partition action? In California, each party typically pays for their own attorney’s fees (known as the “American Rule”). However, California partition law allows for an exception to this rule, stating that “the court shall apportion the costs of partition among the parties in proportion to their interests or make such other apportionment as may be equitable.” California Code of Civil Procedure 874.040. Indeed, the court may award “reasonable attorney’s fees incurred or paid by a party for the common benefit.” California Code of Civil Procedure 874.010(a).
• What happens to any debts or liens on the property during a partition action? Secured debts are paid from the sale of the property. Secured lenders named in a partition action are generally dismissed with an agreement to pay the mortgage at the time of the sale.
• In a partition action, can I be reimbursed for paying more than my fair share of the down payment? Yes, partition actions allow for offsets whereby one co-owner claims excess payments for mortgage, taxes, insurance, improvements, repairs and other property expenses
• What is a partition referee? A partition referee is a neutral third party, often times a lawyer or real estate broker, who completes the sale for the co-owners under court authority. The referee is then paid for their services either on an hourly, flat fee, or commission basis, and is relieved by the court of their duties in the case.