Articles Posted in Real Estate Law

Understanding Real Estate Contracts
Underwood Law Firm, P.C.

If you’re venturing into a real estate transaction and are daunted by the contracts, you’re certainly not alone. The jargon and intricate legal parlance can often make these contracts seem more complex than they actually are. Yet, the good news is that, armed with some guidance and understanding, these contracts become much less intimidating. Our…

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Code of Civil Procedure (CCP) Section 872.240—Joinder of Property
Underwood Law Firm, P.C.

The California Partition Law begins at Code of Civil Procedure section 872.010 and ends at Code of Civil Procedure section 874.323. Section 872.240 allows for personal property to be partitioned with real property. The purpose of Section 872.240 is to give parties an avenue to partition their personal property alongside their real property if they…

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What is the Home Equity Sales Contract Act (Civil Code section 1695)?
Underwood Law Firm, P.C.

Frequently, when homeowners are dealing with financial difficulties, equity purchasers may induce homeowners to sell their homes for a fraction of the price. An “equity purchaser” is anyone who acquires title to any residence in foreclosure, with some exceptions. (Cal. Civ. Code § 1695.1(a)). The California legislature believed that homeowners were losing their homes to…

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Code of Civil Procedure (CCP) Section 872.220—Title Report
Underwood Law Firm, P.C.

The California Partition Law begins at Code of Civil Procedure section 872.010 and ends at Code of Civil Procedure section 874.323. Section 872.220 requires that the plaintiff state the existence and location of a title report if they have procured one. A title report includes a preliminary report, guarantee, binder, or policy of title insurance.…

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What Disclosures is a Realtor Required to Provide in a Sale?
Underwood Law Firm, P.C.

Generally, the seller of a home has disclosures that they are required by law to make to any prospective buyer. This also applies to the realtor, broker, or any other agent working for the seller to sell the home. Different types of sales, however, may have varying disclosure requirements. Generally speaking, trustee’s sales, probate sales,…

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What are Klopping Damages?
Underwood Law Firm, P.C.

Oftentimes, the government will announce a public project which may affect the neighboring property’s value. Most of the time, the public project should increase the property’s value. Sometimes though, the announced public project may decrease the property’s value, which may make it difficult to rent the property. When that happens, the property owner may be…

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What is an Ejectment Action? (CCP § 3375)
Underwood Law Firm, P.C.

Ejectment is an action brought by a party seeking to recover a possessory interest or claim of title in a piece of real property. Typically, an ejectment action arises when a titleholder to a piece of property has been wrongfully excluded or withheld from the property. Therefore, ejectment applies only to those cases where an…

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What is a Partial Taking in Eminent Domain? (CCP § 1263.410)
Underwood Law Firm, P.C.

Not all eminent domain proceedings involve the government taking an entire piece of property. If the property is large enough and the government’s project is limited in scope (expanding a road, for instance), then the government can instead opt for a “partial” taking of the property. Despite this difference, partial takings are nonetheless subject to…

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What is the difference between legal title and equitable title? (Evid. Code § 664.)
Underwood Law Firm, P.C.

The significance of the differences between legal and equitable title is an outright confusing topic, requiring some knowledge of constructive trusts, beneficial interests, and seller’s liens. That said, the concept can be made digestible by boiling it down to its essential elements. When done, this simplification reveals how often we encounter both types of titles…

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What is a Writ of Possession? (CCP § 715.010)
Underwood Law Firm, P.C.

Writs of possession are special statutory remedies that usually appear in unlawful detainer actions. As their name implies, they are a means of recovering possession from someone who is wrongfully occupying a property. Writs are unique, however, in that they are almost exclusively a post-judgment tool. This means that there must be a court judgment,…

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