Accounting of Offsets Archives

What Information Should a Co-owner Gather to Prove Mortgage Payments for a Partition Action?

Proving Mortgage Payments in a Partition Action Accounting

When co-owned property results in a partition action, the court or partition referee may require evidence of who paid the mortgage to divide the proceeds of sale. This article explains how to meticulously gather and organizing documents, including digital payment records between co-owners, to allow co-owners to present a compelling case to prove and recover … Read More

My Co-owner is Not Paying the Mortgage

If your co-owner is not paying the mortgage, this may be an early sign of a co-ownership dispute. In many scenarios where a co-owner is unwilling to contribute to a co-owned property, there will be disagreements on the disposition of property and how to manage the liabilities that accompany real property ownership. Or, perhaps the … Read More

Factors Impacting Cost of a Partition Action in California

Legal fees in a partition action are generally smaller than the Realtor fees involved in forcing the sale. However, co-owners are wise to make an educated guess of the cost of attorney’s fees in a partition lawsuit. The cost of the partition hinges on several factors, including the extent of disagreement among co-owners, the monetary … Read More

What is the Scope of a Partition Action?

The leading treatise on California real estate law, Miller & Starr, explains that: “All conflicting claims existing between the parties and arising out of their relationship as cotenants can be adjudicated in the partition action.” Miller & Starr, 4 Cal. Real Est. (4th ed.) § 11:18. California Jurisprudence provides that: “In a suit for partition, … Read More

How Can I Calculate My Share in a Partition?

Co-owners frequently ask our partition attorneys how to calculate their share of money that will be paid in a partition action. As experienced partition attorneys, we can guide you through the process of calculating your equity in a co-owned property in California. First, Determine the Value of the Entire Property The first step to calculate … Read More

Can a Person Move Into My Jointly Owned Home Without My Permission?

Access rights to jointly owned property A common issue with co-ownership is whether the co-owners can allow third parties to move into the property as roommates. For example, perhaps your co-owner decides to rent out an extra room. Or perhaps they allow their boyfriend or girlfriend to move in. Or maybe they allow an unwanted family member … Read More

Co-Owner's Rights to Lease and Evict Tenants

Can One Owner Lease Out Property that is Jointly Owned?

A common issue with co-ownership is how to manage rented property. Notably, many times only one of the co-owners allows a third party to lease the co-owned property without the consent or over the objection of the other co-owners. As explained below, the law is that each co-owner may lease the property, but doing so … Read More

Code of Civil Procedure § 873.260 (CCP) – Lien on Undivided Interest; Charge on Allotted Share (Partition In Kind)

California Code of Civil Procedure 873.260 is the California partition statute that addresses the impact of a lien against a co-owner’s interest in a property upon division or sale in a partition action in California. The statute provides that: Where a lien is on an undivided interest of a party, the lien shall, upon division … 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

Interlocutory Judgment of Partition by Sale in California

Interlocutory Judgment of Partition by Sale – The Two Phases of a Partition in California

The independent nature of the statutorily required “interlocutory judgment” in a California partition action is rarely seen among civil litigation judgments, which may cause confusion among those who are not familiar with partition law. Generally, a case has only one judgment, and that judgment answers all issues in the case. Even if that judgment is … Read More