Partition Attorneys in Los Angeles County
When co-owners of a Los Angeles County house, duplex, or condo can’t agree on what happens to the property, a partition action lets the court order it sold and divide the proceeds. From Pasadena to Long Beach to Lancaster, we handle these cases every day — and only these cases.
The co-ownership disputes we see most in Los Angeles County
Decades-old family homes, small rental buildings, and properties hit by the 2025 wildfires create disputes that look different here than anywhere else in the state.
A parent left the house to everyone
A family home in Boyle Heights, Inglewood, or the San Fernando Valley passes to several siblings. One wants to keep it, one needs the money, and nothing gets decided. Since 2023, California’s Partition of Real Property Act adds extra steps for many family-owned properties, so it pays to work with attorneys who handle these cases every day.
Co-owners disagree about rebuilding after a fire
After the January 2025 Palisades and Eaton fires, many co-owners are split between rebuilding and selling the lot. When the owners can’t agree, a partition action lets the court decide how the property is sold and how the insurance money and proceeds are divided.
Partners in a duplex or fourplex stopped agreeing
Co-investors in a small rental building disagree on rents, repairs, or when to get out. A partition action ends the deadlock and includes an accounting of the rent collected and the expenses each owner paid.
You bought with a partner, and the relationship ended
Unmarried co-owners don’t have a family court to divide the property. If your ex won’t sell or refinance you off title, partition is how the property gets sold, with credits for who paid what.
Every month you wait, Los Angeles County co-owners pay for it
Waiting for a co-owner to come around rarely works. A partition action is a right, not a request: in California, a co-owner generally doesn’t need anyone’s permission to file.
You keep paying for a property you can’t use
- If you wait
- Your share of the mortgage, property tax, and insurance goes out every month while someone else controls the property.
- Once you file
- Those payments can be credited back to you from the sale proceeds, and a co-owner in sole possession may owe you for its use.
The other side controls the clock
- If you wait
- Your co-owner can stall for years simply by not answering.
- Once you file
- Los Angeles Superior Court sets the schedule. Your co-owner must respond to the lawsuit or risk a default.
Your share can lose value
- If you wait
- Deferred repairs, code violations, new liens, or a co-owner’s debts can eat into what your share is worth.
- Once you file
- A recorded lis pendens puts buyers and lenders on notice of your claim, and the sale happens under court supervision.
How much of your money is locked in this property?
Your share of the equity
Money you own but can’t touch until the property is sold.
What another year of waiting costs
Paid out of your pocket on a property you can’t use or sell.
Start Your PartitionEstimate for illustration only, before sale costs and court-ordered credits. A partition attorney can tell you what applies to your property.
Ready to get your share out of your Los Angeles County property? Let’s start your partition.
Start Your PartitionWhat makes a Los Angeles County partition different
Every partition follows California law, but properties in Los Angeles County raise issues we plan for from the first call.
- Wildfire-damaged properties. After the 2025 fires, co-owned lots in Altadena and the Pacific Palisades raise questions about insurance proceeds, rebuilding permits, and how a burned lot should be sold. We sort those out early so they don’t stall your case.
- City transfer taxes. Several cities in the county, including the City of Los Angeles, charge their own transfer tax on top of the county’s, and higher-priced sales in the City of Los Angeles carry an added tax. We account for these up front so nothing comes as a surprise at closing.
- Rent-controlled units. If tenants live in the property, local rent and eviction rules can affect how quickly it can be sold vacant and what buyers will pay. We plan the sale around them.
Someone living there?
Whether it’s a tenant or a co-owner who won’t leave, who is living in the property shapes how and when it can be sold.
Our approach: we deal with occupancy at the start of the case, so it doesn’t hold up the sale or reduce your share.
Who pays the attorney’s fees? In a California partition, the court can divide the fees and costs incurred for everyone’s benefit among all co-owners in proportion to their interests, under Code of Civil Procedure 874.010 and 874.040.
Tell us about your Los Angeles County property
A partition attorney will review your situation and explain your options — usually in a 15-minute call.
- Who’s on title and how title is held
- What happens if the property was damaged in a fire
- Credits you may be owed for payments you made
- Whether fees can be shared with the other co-owners
Prefer to talk now?
(310) 496-3300Questions Los Angeles County co-owners ask us
Can a co-owner force the sale of a Los Angeles County property?
Yes. California law generally gives every co-owner the right to ask the court to divide or sell the property, unless that right was given up in a written agreement. See the full California partition statutes.
Where is a Los Angeles County partition case filed?
In the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, because that is where the property is located.
Can a fire-damaged lot be partitioned?
Yes. A burned lot is still co-owned real property, and a partition action can force its sale. Insurance proceeds and rebuilding rights are part of what we sort out in the case.
Do I need my co-owner’s permission to file?
No. A California co-owner generally has the right to file a partition action without the other owners’ consent. Your co-owner is served with the lawsuit and must respond to it.
Will the property be auctioned at the courthouse?
Rarely. In most cases a court-appointed referee lists the property on the open market with a real estate broker, which typically brings a better price than an auction.
