Jacksonville Beach, FL asked in Probate for Kansas

Q: My father passed two years ago. My sisters have not sold his house and I am entitled to 1/3. 1 sister lives in it.

The trustee (other sister) expects me to pay 1/3 of taxes, insurance and repairs out of my share. How do I get the house sold and make sure I don’t pay for the sister to live rent free at my expense??

Related Topics:
2 Lawyer Answers
Nina Whitehurst
PREMIUM
Nina Whitehurst pro label Lawyers, want to be a Justia Connect Pro too? Learn more ›
Answered
  • Probate Lawyer
  • Crossville, TN

A: The best solution in these situations is for the sister in possession to buy out the shares of the other two co-owners. If she refuses, or if you simply can't reach agreement on a price, then you can hire an attorney to file a lawsuit to force the sale of the house and the three of you will split the proceeds.

Scott C. Stockwell
Scott C. Stockwell
Answered
  • Probate Lawyer
  • Lawrence, KS
  • Licensed in Kansas

A: Your question refers to one of your sisters as the "trustee." If the property is being held in trust for the benefit of you and one or more siblings, then the provisions of the trust would be the starting point in terms of determining whether the property could be sold, whether you could demand its sale, and whether there is an actual obligation to pay a contribution towards taxes, insurance, and repairs.

If, on the other hand, the property has been transferred to you and your siblings as tenants in common with indivisible ownership shares, then and in that event, you may--absent an agreement to sell or rent the property--compel the division or sale of the property through a process called a partition action. You could contact the Register of Deeds to obtain a copy of the deed showing how title to the property is currently held and obtain a copy of the trust document, if any exists. You would be well-advised to consult with an attorney about those documents and determine the best course of action.

Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.

The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.

Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.