A land partition action in Pennsylvania is unlike any other type of civil litigation. Of course, there are plaintiffs and defendants, pleadings, and discovery just like any other lawsuit, but the course of the litigation is...more
On Tuesday, in Lehmann v. WFV Holdings, LLC, Record No. 0201-23-2 (Ct. App. Va. May 14, 2024), available here, the Court of Appeals of Virginia reversed a decision from the Circuit Court of Amelia County, holding that because...more
Land partition actions in Pennsylvania can seem scary to the uninitiated. The procedures appear arcane at first glance — a seeming relic from earlier times in the Commonwealth. Crazy words such as “purpart” and “owelty” are...more
In Estate of Tillotson, an administrator of a decedent’s estate filed a turn over motion to have the decedent’s husband turn over the decedent’s community property interest in certain accounts. No. 05-20-00258-CV, 2021 Tex....more
The trend in most real estate-related LLCs is to have a single appointed manager. Under the LLC’s operating agreement, the manager typically has authority to make the day to day business decisions on behalf of the LLC, while...more
In Koda v. Rossi, a mother created a trust that provided that her son was to serve as trustee and that she, he, and a daughter were the beneficiaries. No. 11-15-0150-CV, 2017 Tex. App. LEXIS 8194 (Tex. App.—Eastland August...more
Appellate Court Advance Release Opinions: AC39614 - In re Harmony Q. - AC37573 - Rosa v. Commissioner of Correction - AC37913 - State v. Berthiaume - AC37913 Concurrence - State v. Berthiaume - ...more
In Byrom v. Penn, Byrom was appointed executor of his mother’s estate, and he was later removed as executor for breach of fiduciary duty by using estate funds to build a house for himself. No. 12-15-00033-CV, 2016 Tex. App....more
Generally, any person that has an ownership interest in property in which one or more other persons also have an interest may bring an action to divide the property or to sell the property and have the proceeds therefrom...more
“You don’t know what you don’t know” is a popular catchphrase. So, do you know what a “betterment” is and how the law of betterments operates? Land use law has ancient roots. Sometimes, a case requires an appellate...more
Oral agreements to partition lands are tricky situations that must be dealt with carefully when analyzing the title to a piece of property. Known legally as parol partitions, these agreements often arise in the context of...more
REAL PROPERTY UPDATE - Eviction/Summary Judgment: Error to grant summary judgment where plaintiff failed to refute multiple affirmative defenses including an assertion that the eviction would cause an inequitable...more
REAL PROPERTY UPDATE - Probate/Quit Claim Deeds: trial court correctly ordered personal representative to issue deeds conveying properties to son and mother, subject to life estate held by son – Ciungu v. Bulea, Case...more
REAL PROPERTY UPDATE - - Harris Act/Inverse Condemnation: dismissal was (1) improper as to landowners’ Harris Act claim because amendments to County’s land use plan were applied specifically to landowners’ property by...more
Based on a recent decision in West Virginia’s 3rd Judicial Circuit, which includes Doddridge, Pleasants and Ritchie counties, the use of litigation in the form of partition suits may be more problematic than it otherwise has...more
Partition is a statutory procedure whereby co-tenants (for example joint tenancy, tenancy-in-common, community property) can file a court action to physically divide or sell the property. See A.R.S. § 12-1211 et seq. Unless...more
In Roberts v. Wilson, the El Paso Court of Appeals ruled that the wife of a beneficiary under a will was entitled to her husband’s interest in real property because he survived his parents and the bequeath did not have a...more