A partition action requires a number of steps and gets increasingly complicated as to process moves along. I definitely wouldn't try it without an attorney.A partition action enables you to force the sale of property when coowners are refusing to sell. When two or more people own the same property, one of the owners CAN force a sale of the jointly owned property via a partition action or lawsuit. How To File a Petition for Partition in North Carolina. Filing a Petition: A coowner files a petition with the clerk of court in the county where the property is located.