The Court-Ordered Files
Articles on probate, partition, and court-ordered real estate sales — new laws, court rulings, and how they affect agents, investors, and families in all 50 states.
-
Co-Owner Refuses to Sell? 12 Situations Where “Partition” Decides What Happens
Co-owner refuses to sell? Learn what “Partition” means and see 12 real situations, from inherited homes to divorce, with the law behind each one.
-
How Real Estate Agents Get Probate Listings (Without Buying Bad Lead Lists)
The best probate listings start with the court file, not a purchased list. Find the personal representative, learn their authority, and follow the calling rules.
-
Two Estates in the News, and the Same Question Underneath Both
A trust written in 1996 and a distribution order from 2022 are both doing work in September 2026 filings. Both point at the same gap between what a document says…
-
The Accounting Comes Before the Sale Order, Not After
A New York appellate court reversed a partition judgment because the accounting had not been completed before the court ordered the sale. The accounting is a precondition, not a proceeds…
-
California Narrowed One Probate Notice and Pointed It at the Heirs
SB 1264 moves the Probate Code section 9202 child-support notice to an actual-knowledge trigger, adds no duty to investigate, and extends the duty to obligations owed by an heir or…
-
Rhode Island Changed Partition and Probate Sales in the Same Year
A new Rhode Island statute puts appraisal and a buyout window ahead of any partition sale, and the state’s Supreme Court voided a co-executor’s self-purchase that skipped probate approval.
-
Maryland’s Transfer-on-Death Deed Takes Effect Today. Check the Land Records First.
Maryland now recognizes the revocable transfer-on-death deed. A recorded TOD deed passes title outside the estate, which means outside the personal representative’s authority to sell.
-
Who Counts as Heirs Property: Two New York Decisions Draw the Line
Two published New York decisions decided within nine weeks set the outer edges of the Partition of Heirs Property Act: a co-op is in, a trust-and-LLC ownership structure is out.
-
Data Prohibition: Why Are Courts Creating Scarcity Around Public Information?
Court records are legally public, yet efficient access is restricted. Deric Rangell on privacy vs. friction in probate files, and who benefits from the scarcity.