Offsets Archives

Partition Action Eligibility Checklist

There are countless reasons that a co-ownership relationship may be coming to end. Perhaps a romantic relationship between co-owners has ended, but both parties are still on title. Maybe siblings have inherited a family home but one wants to stay on the property and the other wants their share of their inheritance. Or maybe years … 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

Can a Partition Action Be Stopped in California?

How to Stop a Partition Action Generally, the right to a partition action is absolute, meaning that the right to partition a property is achievable by any co-owner, no matter how small or large their interest in the property may be. Once filed with the courts, a partition action cannot be “stopped” by a party … 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

Affirmative Defenses Partition Action California Attorney Lawyer

Affirmative Defenses to a Partition Action in California

How Do You Beat a Partition Action? Experienced partition attorneys in California are often asked whether there are affirmative defenses to a partition under California law. Of course, every defendant wants to win a partition action. While some people may refer to these as affirmative defenses, it might be best to look them as ways … 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

Bankruptcy Co-Ownership Offset Disputes - Applying Partition Laws in a Section 363(h) Sale of Co-Owned Property - In re Flynn (B.A.P. 9th Cir. 2003)

Bankruptcy Co-Ownership Offset Disputes – Applying Partition Laws in a Section 363(h) Sale of Co-Owned Property – In re Flynn, 297 B.R. 599 (B.A.P. 9th Cir. 2003)

When a co-owner files for bankruptcy in a partition, the bankruptcy trustee or debtor-in-possession may seek to sell the co-owned property under Section 363(h) of the Bankruptcy Code (11 U.S.C. Section 363(h)). However, the Bankruptcy Court is empowered to apply California law on co-ownership offsets to ensure that the proceeds are equitably divided. These bankruptcies … 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