Partition Attorneys in Bakersfield
When co-owners of a Bakersfield home or rental can’t agree on what happens to it, a partition action lets the court order it sold and divide the proceeds. From Seven Oaks to Oildale to East Bakersfield, we handle these cases every day — and only these cases.
The co-ownership disputes we see most in Bakersfield
Family homes passed down through generations, newer subdivisions, and rentals make up most of the co-ownership disputes we see in Bakersfield.
Siblings inherited the house and one won’t sell
A parent’s home in East Bakersfield, Oildale, or the southwest passes to several children who can’t agree on keeping it or selling it. 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-buyers of a newer home in the southwest want out
Friends, relatives, or former partners who bought a home together in one of Bakersfield’s newer neighborhoods no longer agree on it. If one owner won’t sell or refinance, partition is how the property gets sold.
Partners in a rental stopped agreeing
Co-investors in a rental house or duplex disagree on tenants, repairs, or when to sell. A partition action ends the deadlock and includes an accounting of the rent each owner collected.
One owner lives there and pays nothing
A co-owner living in the property alone may owe the other owners for their share of its use. That claim can be decided in the same case that forces the sale.
Bakersfield co-owners: the longer you wait, the more it costs
You can’t make a co-owner cooperate, but you don’t need them to. In California, a co-owner generally has the right to file a partition action without the other owners’ permission.
The bills keep coming
- If you wait
- Your share of the mortgage, property tax, and insurance keeps coming due whether or not you can use the property.
- Once you file
- Payments you made can be credited back to you from the sale proceeds, and a co-owner in sole possession may owe you for its use.
Nothing happens on its own
- If you wait
- Your co-owner can ignore calls and letters for as long as they like.
- Once you file
- Kern County Superior Court sets the schedule. Your co-owner must respond to the lawsuit or risk a default.
The property can slip in value
- If you wait
- Neglect, liens, or a co-owner’s creditors can cut 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 Bakersfield property? Let’s start your partition.
Start Your PartitionWhat makes a Bakersfield partition different
Every partition follows California law, but Bakersfield properties raise issues we plan for from the first call.
- Mineral rights. In the Bakersfield area, mineral rights are sometimes owned separately from the house and land. We confirm exactly what each co-owner holds before filing.
- Special taxes on newer homes. Some newer neighborhoods carry special assessments on the tax bill, which affect carrying costs and buyer demand. We factor them into the sale.
- Tenant-occupied rentals. If tenants live in the property, state tenant protections can affect how quickly it can be sold vacant. We plan the sale around them.
Someone living there?
Whether it’s a tenant, a relative, 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 Bakersfield 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 with mineral or oil rights
- Credits you may be owed for payments you made
- Whether fees can be shared with the other co-owners
Prefer to talk now?
(661) 999-3300Questions Bakersfield co-owners ask us
Can a co-owner force the sale of a Bakersfield 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 Bakersfield partition case filed?
In the Superior Court of California, County of Kern, because that is where the property is located.
Can a property with tenants be partitioned?
Yes. Tenants don’t prevent a partition, but tenant protections affect how and when the property is sold. We plan for that from the start.
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.
