South Carolina § 62-3-911 - Partition for purpose of distribution.

§ 62-3-911. Partition for purpose of distribution.

For purposes of this section, "interested heirs or devisees" means those heirs or devisees who are entitled to an interest in the real or personal property that is subject to partition pursuant to this section. When two or more heirs or devisees are entitled to distribution of undivided interests in any personal or real property of the estate, the personal representative or one or more of the interested heirs or devisees may petition the court prior to the closing of the estate, to make partition. After service of summons and petition and after notice to the interested heirs or devisees, the court shall partition the property in the manner provided in this section.

(1) The court shall partition the property in kind if it can be fairly and equitably partitioned in kind.

(2) If the property cannot be fairly and equitably partitioned in kind, the court shall direct the personal representative to sell the property and distribute the proceeds subject to the following provisions of this item.

(a) The court shall provide for the nonpetitioning interested heirs or devisees who wish to purchase the property to notify the court of that interest no later than ten days prior to the date set for a hearing on the partition. The nonpetitioning interested heirs or devisees shall be allowed to purchase the interests in the property as provided in this section whether default has been entered against them or not.

(b) In the circumstances described in subitem (a) of this section, and in the event the interested heirs or devisees cannot reach agreement as to the price, the value of the interest or interests to be sold shall be determined by one or more competent appraisers, as the court shall approve, appointed for that purpose by the court. The appraisers appointed pursuant to this section shall make their report in writing to the court within thirty days after their appointment. The costs of the appraisers appointed pursuant to this section shall be taxed as a part of the cost of court to those seeking to purchase the interests of the heirs or devisees in the property described in the petition for partition.

(c) In the event that the interested heirs or devisees object to the value of the property interests as determined by the appointed appraisers, those heirs or devisees shall have ten days from the date of filing of the report to file written notice of objection to the report and request a hearing before the court on the value of the interest or interests. An evidentiary hearing limited to the proposed valuation of the property interests of the interested heirs or devisees shall be conducted, and an order as to the valuation of the interests of the interested heirs and devisees shall be issued.

(d) After the valuation of the interests in the property is completed as provided in subitems (b) or (c) of this item, the interested heirs or devisees seeking to purchase the interests of the other interested heirs or devisees shall have forty-five days to pay the price set as the value of those interests to be purchased, in such shares and proportions, and in such manner, as the court shall determine. Upon the payment, the court shall direct the personal representative to execute and deliver the proper instruments transferring title to the purchasers.

(e) In the event that the interested heirs or devisees seeking to purchase the partitioned property fail to pay the purchase price as provided in subitem (d) of this item, the court shall proceed according to the traditional practices of circuit courts in partition sales.

HISTORY: 1986 Act No. 539, SECTION 1; 1990 Act No. 521, SECTION 56; 2010 Act No. 244, SECTION 18, eff June 7, 2010; 2013 Act No. 100, SECTION 1, eff January 1, 2014.