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.
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).
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.
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.
23.001. PARTITION. A joint owner or claimant of real property or an interest in real property or a joint owner of personal property may compel a partition of the interest or the property among the joint owners or claimants under this chapter and the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure.
Unless both spouses agree, a spouse must prove that something is separate property by “clear and convincing evidence.” If a spouse cannot prove something is separate property, it is considered to be community property. Read Gathering and Presenting Evidence to help you understand what is allowed in court.
If one owner wants to sell a jointly owned property but the other owner(s) refuse, the party seeking to sell can file a partition action. This legal procedure allows a court to intervene and force the sale of the property, dividing the proceeds among the owners ing to their ownership interests.
A partition agreement divides, or partitions, a married couple's community estate into two separate estates. It is sometimes called a post-nuptial or post-marital agreement and is similar to a prenuptial agreement, except that it is executed by a married couple.