A prospective client called yesterday inquiring whether three siblings who had joint tenancy with a fourth sibling, can force a sale so as to buy out the troublemaking fourth sibling.
I answered yes, as the Partition of Property act allows for a severance of the co owned joint tenancy, subject to the court’s discretion, in some situations such as economic oppression.
More information on the Partition of Property act can be found in the disinherited.com blog dated January 3, 2014, The Partition Act Allows Courts to Order Co-Owned Property to be Sold.
Three further detailed articles on severance of joint tenancies can be found in my blogs. Severance of Joint Tenancies (Part 1), Severance of Joint Tenancies (Part 2) and Severance of Joint Tenancies by a Course of Dealing.
To sever the joint tenancy and convert it into a tenancy in common where there is no right of survivorship, the co owner can simply file a transfer from oneself to oneself for the sole purpose of severing the joint tenancy.
