The process of partition action starts with one or more owners filing a petition in court. The court then examines the real estate details and the owners' interests to decide on the best division method.
Potential solutions for dividing inherited property include selling the property and dividing the proceeds, providing siblings with co-ownership, and having one sibling buy out the other siblings.
There are two potential pathways in seeking a partition: Partitions may be in kind (meaning that property is divided into separate parcels and each parcel is allotted to a separate owner) or by sale (meaning that property is sold and sale proceeds are divided among the owners).
Sec. 4.102. PARTITION OR EXCHANGE OF COMMUNITY PROPERTY. At any time, the spouses may partition or exchange between themselves all or part of their community property, then existing or to be acquired, as the spouses may desire.
Property acquired during the marriage (outside of the noted exceptions) is considered community property. The spouses can, however, agree to convert (or “transmute”) community property into separate property. In Texas, this is done via a written agreement establishing a partition or exchange between the parties.
Texas is one of nine states that is a community property jurisdiction. In general, this means that any property acquired by a couple during their marriage (with a few exceptions) is equally owned by both spouses.
Even if only one spouse's name is on the deed, any property bought during the marriage is presumed to be community property, unless it was bought with separate property funds. The spouse claiming it as separate property must prove it in court.
Community vs. Separate property, as defined under Texas law, is any asset that you owned before your marriage, as well as anything you received individually as a gift or inheritance during your marriage. Pre-marriage ownership – Anything you owned before you got married remains solely yours.
The parties acknowledge that, to convert additional separate property of either party into com- munity property, the parties must prepare and sign a separate written instrument. This agreement may be enforced by suit in law or equity by either of the parties or by their heirs, executors, attorneys, or assigns.