Posted by John Merchant on January 18, 2011 at 17:32:40:
A partial owner’s ultimate legal remedy lies in a Partition Action which asks the court to sort out and rule on who owns what.
PAs are fairly rare as they’re expensive, and partial interest owners find it more economical to work out their differences and relative interests OUT of court.
I’ve helped a number of clients settle ownership rights in properties by their mere mention that a PA might be necessary; everybody fears the outcome of PA and few are willing to risk it or pay for it.