Chapter 7. Partition Or Allotment Of Property of California Probate Code >> Division 7. >> Part 10. >> Chapter 7.

(a) If two or more beneficiaries are entitled to the distribution of undivided interests in property and have not agreed among themselves to a partition, allotment, or other division of the property, any of them, or the personal representative at the request of any of them, may petition the court to make a partition, allotment, or other division of the property that will be equitable and will avoid the distribution of undivided interests.
  (b) A proceeding under this chapter is limited to interests in the property that are subject to administration and does not include other interests except to the extent the owners of other interests in the property consent to be bound by the partition, allotment, or other division.

(a) A petition under this chapter may be filed at any time before an order for distribution of the affected property becomes final.
  (b) The petition shall:
  (1) Describe the property.
  (2) State the names of the persons having or claiming undivided interests.
  (3) Describe the undivided interests, so far as known to the petitioner.

(a) Notice of the hearing on the petition shall be given as provided in Section 1220 to the personal representative and to the persons entitled to distribution of the undivided interests.
  (b) At the hearing the persons entitled to distribution of the undivided interests shall be considered the parties to the proceeding whether or not they have appeared or filed a responsive pleading. No one shall be considered as a plaintiff or as a defendant.
  (c) Any objection to the jurisdiction of the court shall be made and resolved in the manner prescribed in Part 19 (commencing with Section 850) of Division 2.

(a) The court shall partition, allot, or otherwise divide the property so that each party receives property with a value proportionate to the value of the party's interest in the whole.
  (b) The court may direct the personal representative to sell property where, under the circumstances, sale would be more equitable than partition and where the property cannot conveniently be allotted to any one party. The sale shall be conducted in the same manner as other sales made during administration of an estate.
  (c) Any two or more parties may agree to accept undivided interests.

(a) The court, in its discretion, may appoint one or three referees to partition property capable of being partitioned, if requested to do so by a party. The number of referees appointed must conform to the request of at least one of the parties.
  (b) The referees shall have the powers and perform the duties of referees in, and the court shall have the same powers with respect to their report as in, partition actions under Title 10.5 (commencing with Section 872.010) of Part 2 of the Code of Civil Procedure.

The expenses of partition shall be equitably apportioned by the court among the parties, but each party must pay the party's own attorney's fees. The amount charged to each party shall be included and specified in the order and, to the extent unpaid, constitutes a lien on the property allotted to the party.

(a) The partition, allotment, or other division made by the court shall control in proceedings for distribution, unless modified for good cause on reasonable notice.
  (b) The proceedings leading to the partition, allotment, or other division may be reviewed on appeal from the order for distribution.