San Diego, San Diego County

Partition Actions Attorneys in San Diego

When people who own a property together cannot agree what to do with it, partition is the court process that ends the deadlock.

Both founding partners active with the State Bar of CaliforniaLicenses 289039 and 306140, checked 22 August 2026.

Four Southern California officesLos Angeles, Ontario, San Diego and Carlsbad.

Over 20 years of combined experienceFounding partners admitted in 2013 and 2015.

Hablamos españolA bilingual team across all four offices.

Partition Actions in San Diego County

Our San Diego office serves clients with real property, trust and estate matters connected to San Diego County.

Code of Civil Procedure section 392 generally places an action to recover real property or determine an interest in it in the superior court of the county where the property is located. The court assigns the courthouse under its current rules.

A partition action ends shared ownership. For actions filed on or after January 1, 2023, the Partition of Real Property Act adds an appraisal and cotenant-buyout process for qualifying tenancy-in-common property when no recorded binding agreement governs partition.

For a matter connected to San Diego County, deeds, liens and other recorded real property instruments are maintained by the Assessor, Recorder and County Clerk at 1600 Pacific Hwy, San Diego, CA 92101. Those records can establish the chain of title and the instruments affecting the parcel.

Where the records are held

Recording is done county by county, so for a matter concerning San Diego County property the instruments that decide it sit with the Assessor, Recorder and County Clerk at 1600 Pacific Hwy, San Diego, CA 92101. Recorded deeds, liens and other real property instruments for San Diego County property are maintained by the county recorder.

Code of Civil Procedure section 874.311 and following

The Partition of Real Property Act applies to qualifying tenancy in common actions filed on or after January 1, 2023 when no recorded binding agreement governs partition. It provides for court-ordered appraisal and a cotenant buyout.

Our San Diego office

9619 Chesapeake Drive, Suite 223
San Diego, CA 92123
(800) 997-8008
Serving Central San Diego, La Jolla, Chula Vista, El Cajon, Poway, Coronado.

For the full discussion of how these matters work statewide, see our partition actions page.

Call the firm

Describe the property and the dispute so the firm can assess whether it is a matter it handles.

Call (800) 997-8008

Call to ask about an initial consultation.

Contacting our San Diego office does not create an attorney-client relationship, and please do not send confidential details until we have agreed in writing to represent you.

Our San Diego office

4.758 Google reviewsSan Diego profileOur San Diego office Google Business Profile, checked 21 August 2026.

Court resource

San Diego Central Courthouse 1100 Union St, San Diego, CA 92101

Answers before you call

Common questions

Can one co-owner force the sale of a property in California?

A co-owner can bring a partition action, and the right is close to absolute. Since 2023 the other co-owners have the opportunity to buy out that interest first, at a value the court determines, before any sale. The court must also prefer dividing the land itself where that is practicable.

How long does a partition action take in California?

It depends on three things. Whether the owners disagree about who holds what interest, whether a buyout is elected, and whether the property has to be sold. The first stage is determining each party's interest, and that resolves a number of these on its own.

Who pays the attorney fees in a partition action?

Costs, including attorney fees, incurred for the common benefit may be apportioned among the owners in proportion to the size of their interests. The reason is that the action is treated as benefiting all of them. That is not automatic, and conduct can affect it.

Can I buy out my co-owner instead of selling?

Yes. You can agree a buyout between yourselves at any time. And if your co-owner files, the Partition of Real Property Act may give you the right to buy their interest at a value the court determines. The obstacles are usually agreeing a value, funding it, and dealing with the existing loan.

What if one owner has been paying everything?

That is accounted for. Mortgage payments, taxes, insurance and necessary repairs made by one owner can change what each owner receives. So can rents received, and the value of one owner having occupied the property alone. Keep the documents, because the adjustment is proved from records rather than recollection.

Tell us about the property.

Call to ask whether it is a matter the firm handles.

Call (800) 997-8008