The owner who no longer wants ownership of the property can ask the court to force a sale in lieu of partition. Rather than continuing to co-own the property, the court can force the owners to put the house up for sale.
A partition lawsuit is a legal action that allows co-owners of a property to seek a court order to divide or sell the property when they cannot reach an agreement. Partition actions are typically used in cases of joint tenancy, tenancy in common, or other forms of co-ownership.
§12–401. (a) A party in a civil case may appeal from a final judgment entered in the District Court. (ii) Granting a motion to dismiss, or quashing or dismissing a charging document.
The actual time it takes from when a partition case is filed to when the land is partitioned physically, by sale, or by set-off varies from case to case. In general, partition cases can take several months or even years to resolve.
In short, to force the sale of jointly owned property, you must first confirm title, then attempt a voluntary sale or buyout, file and serve a partition lawsuit, get an appraisal, sell the property, and finally divide the sale proceeds fairly.
The new Partition of Property Act changes existing partition law in Maryland to better protect owners of tenancy-in-common property from forced court-ordered sales of the property.
To initiate a partition action in Pennsylvania, a co-owner must file a partition complaint at the Court of Common Pleas. The Complaint will set forth the property description, the names and addresses of the co-owners, and their interest in the property.
A partition action is a lawsuit in which a court determines whether a property with two or more owners is to be partitioned or sold. When two or more owners cannot agree on the disposition of the property in question, any of the owners can file a partition action in the appropriate court.