Washington · statute · Wash. Rev. Code ch. 7.52 · 48 active provisions
When several persons hold and are in possession of real property as tenants in common, in which one or more of them have an estate of inheritance, or for life or years, an action may be maintained by one or more of such persons, for a partition thereof, according to the respective rights of the persons interested there…
The interest of all persons in the property shall be set forth in the complaint specifically and particularly as far as known to the plaintiff, and if one or more of the parties, or the share or quantity of interest of any of the parties be unknown to the plaintiff, or be uncertain or contingent, or the ownership of th…
The plaintiff may, at his or her option, make creditors having a lien upon the property or any portion thereof, other than by a judgment or decree, defendants in the suit. When the lien is upon an undivided interest or estate of any of the parties, such lien, if a partition be made, is thenceforth a lien only on the sh…
The notice shall be directed by name to all the tenants in common, who are known, and in the same manner to all lien creditors who are made parties to the suit, and generally to all persons unknown, having or claiming an interest or estate in the property.
If a party, having a share or interest in, or lien upon the property, be unknown, or either of the known parties reside out of the state or cannot be found therein, and such fact be made to appear by affidavit, the notice may be served by publication, as in ordinary cases. When service is made by publication, the notic…
The defendant shall set forth in his or her answer, the nature, and extent of his or her interest in the property, and if he or she be a lien creditor, how such lien was created, the amount of the debt secured thereby and remaining due, and whether such debt is secured in any other way, and if so, the nature of such ot…
The rights of the several parties, plaintiffs as well as defendants, may be put in issue, tried and determined in such suit, and where a defendant fails to answer, or where a sale of the property is necessary, the title shall be ascertained by proof to the satisfaction of the court, before the decree for partition or s…
If it be alleged in the complaint and established by evidence, or if it appear by the evidence without such allegation in the complaint, to the satisfaction of the court, that the property or any part of it, is so situated that partition cannot be made without great prejudice to the owners, the court may order a sale t…
In making the partition, the referees shall divide the property, and allot the several portions thereof to the respective parties, quality and quantity relatively considered, according to the respective rights of the parties as determined by the court, designating the several portions by proper landmarks, and may emplo…
The court may confirm or set aside the report in whole or in part, and if necessary, appoint new referees. Upon the report being confirmed a decree shall be entered that such partition be effectual forever, which decree shall be binding and conclusive:(1) On all parties named therein, and their legal representatives wh…
Such decree and partition shall not affect any tenants for years or for life, of the whole of the property which is the subject of partition, nor shall such decree and partition preclude any persons, except such as are specified in RCW 7.52.100, from claiming title to the property in question, or from controverting the…
The expenses of the referees, including those of a surveyor and his or her assistants, when employed, shall be ascertained and allowed by the court, and the amount thereof, together with the fees allowed by law to the referees, shall be paid by the plaintiff and may be allowed as costs.
If the referees report to the court that the property, of which partition shall have been decreed, or any separate portion thereof is so situated that a partition thereof cannot be made without great prejudice to the owners, and the court is satisfied that such report is correct, it may thereupon by an order direct the…
When a part of the property only is ordered to be sold, if there be an estate for life or years in an undivided share of the property, the whole of such estate may be set off in any part of the property not ordered sold.
Before making an order of sale, if lien creditors, other than those by judgment or decree, have not been made parties, the court, on motion of either party, shall order the plaintiff to file a supplemental complaint, making such creditors defendants.
If an order of sale be made before the distribution of the proceeds thereof, the plaintiff shall produce to the court the certificate of the clerk of the county where the property is situated, showing the liens remaining unsatisfied, if any, by judgment or decree upon the property or any portion thereof, and unless he…
If it appear by such certificate or reference, in case the certificate is not produced, that any such liens exist, the court shall appoint a referee to ascertain what amount remains due thereon or secured thereby respectively, and the order of priority in which they are entitled to be paid out of the property.
The plaintiff must cause a notice to be served at least twenty days before the time for appearance on each person having such lien by judgment or decree, to appear before the referee at a specified time and place to make proof by his or her own affidavit or otherwise, of the true amount due or to become due, contingent…
The referee shall receive the evidence and report the names of the creditors whose liens are established, the amounts due thereon, or secured thereby, and their priority respectively, and whether contingent or absolute. He or she shall attach to his or her report the proof of service of the notices and the evidence bef…
The report of the referee may be excepted to by either party to the suit, or to the proceedings before the referee, in like manner and with like effect as in ordinary cases. If a lien creditor be absent from the state, or his or her residence therein be unknown, and that fact appear by affidavit, the court or judge the…
If the report of the referee be confirmed, the order of confirmation is binding and conclusive upon all parties to the suit, and upon the lien creditors who have been duly served with the notice to appear before the referee, as provided in RCW 7.52.180.
The proceeds of the sale of the encumbered property shall be distributed by the decree of the court, as follows:(1) To pay its just proportion of the general costs of the suit.(2) To pay the costs of the reference.(3) To satisfy the several liens in their order of priority, by payment of the sums due, and to become due…
Whenever any party to the suit, who holds a lien upon the property or any part thereof, has other securities for the payment of the amount of such lien, the court may in its discretion, order such sureties to be exhausted before a distribution of the proceeds of sale, or may order a just deduction to be made from the a…
The proceedings to ascertain the amount of the liens, and to determine their priority as above provided, or those hereinafter authorized to determine the rights of parties to funds paid into court, shall not delay the sale, nor affect any other party, whose rights are not involved in such proceedings.
The proceeds of sale, and the securities taken by the referees, or any part thereof, shall be distributed by them to the persons entitled thereto, whenever the court so directs. But if no such direction be given, all such proceeds and securities shall be paid into court, or deposited as directed by the court.