Know The Law

How to send legal notice for partition of property?

It frequently happens that a person or organization needs to file a lawsuit against another person or organization.

Numerous situations might result in consumer complaints, such as property disputes, bounced checks, divorce, eviction, etc. However, you must let the other individual know that you intend to file a lawsuit against them. also It is important to know the procedure to file partition suit.

You deliver a legal notice to a person or business for that reason. In this article, you’ll read about everything you need to know about sending a legal notice for the partition of property. 

What is a partition of property? 

To possess property in severalty, joint co-owners must divide it into various sections. This is known as partitioning. A person has the right to assert claims regarding their interest in any property they jointly own with another person under the Partition Act of 1893.

A property being partitioned is divided among the lawful heirs in the property according to a ratio mutually agreed upon or mandated by the court.

A co-joint owner or any other person with a portion of the property may provide legal notice to the other co-joint owners in the event of a property division.

What kind of properties can be partitioned?

Two types of properties can be divided, per Indian law. As follows:

Self-Acquired Property:

Self-acquired property is everything that a person has worked hard to get and not something they inherited from their ancestors. 

A self-acquired property can also be any item gained through a will or as a gift. Property that has been obtained by oneself cannot be divided while the owner is still alive. 

To specify how and among whom all of the property should be distributed after his or her death, the individual who has obtained it can form a will while still alive. When the owner of the property does not make a will, the property passes to his or her Class-1 heirs upon death.

Ancestral Property:

Property gained through a person's forebears or forefathers as a result of that person's birth into the family is known as ancestral property. Such a property must date back four generations. In ancestral property, the right to compel partition is a vested interest rather than a free option. 

When can a legal notice be sent for the partition of property?

A legal notice may be delivered to seek a partition in property co-jointly owned by a person or a member of their family by another joint owner in the case of property division. 

When a person co-owns a property with another person, he or she has the legal authority to give the other joint owner a notice of partition, which could result in the other joint owner becoming the sole owner of their portion of the partitioned property when the partition has been completed.

What should a legal notice have? 

The legal notice for the partition of property must include some crucial details, including:

  • Name, identity, and address of the person who sent the notice.
  • Facts supporting the complaint
  • The remedy demanded by the notice's sender.
  • An overview of the legal foundation for the requested relief.
  • Statement of the cause of action.

Who can draft a legal notice?

A lawyer, particularly a property lawyer, draughts a legal notice. A competent real estate attorney can assist you to prepare the correct legal notice that must be submitted in the event of a property division.

How can a lawyer assist with sending a legal notice in the event of property division?

A good property lawyer can assist in sending a legal notice on behalf of his client in the event of property division because he will be able to comprehend the client's issue, document the proper legal notice that should be sent in the event of property division, and better advise the client about what must be done and how. 

Read our guide on hiring a property dispute lawyer who can help you draft legal notice for partition.

Acts and Statutes that Apply to a Legal Notice

In India, several laws regulate issues connected to property division, delivering legal notices, and bringing partition lawsuits. Those laws are as follows:

Partition suit

Every shareholder of a property that is partitioned forfeits their ownership stake in favor of the other shareholders. A partition is a combination of giving up and transferring some property rights.

If the co-owners of the property do not consent to a partition of the property and only one or more of the co-owners want the partition to occur, a partition suit must be filed in the relevant court. 

The partition may be carried out under the mutually agreed-upon ratio or with the relevant inheritance legislation.

Who may bring a partition case?

Who may submit a partition suit and who may not file one is not specifically spelled down in Indian law. Nobody is prohibited from filing a partition lawsuit in a court of law for the division of property, and there is no such restriction.

No of whether a person has a contingent or vested interest in the property being divided, they are still eligible to file a partition claim.

A partition lawsuit may also be brought by a co-owner of the property that will be partitioned.

Only one of the lawful heirs may step forward to submit a partition suit for the property's division if there are multiple heirs and they are all unwilling to participate in the formalities.

What paperwork is needed to file a partition lawsuit?

At the time of filing the partition suit for the partition of property, copies of a few relevant papers and the market value certificate of the property received by the Registrar should be provided.

Procedure to file a Partition Suit

There is a specific procedure that must be followed to file a partition suit. It's crucial to serve a legal notice requesting the property on the other co-owners of the property before filing a claim for division. 

The harmed party may launch a partition suit by presenting all pertinent dispute-related papers to the court if there is no response to the legal notice or the dispute continues.

The Court must decide all of the claims and rights of each party after reviewing the evidence and hearing all of the arguments, provided that the party bringing the lawsuit has complied with all the procedures.

The Court may ultimately determine whether the property can be partitioned solely based on a partition suit or if further steps must be taken. It might specify what should be done next.

The parties may mutually agree to sign a Deed of Partition if the defendants accept the conditions of the notification after receiving it. Additionally, a Deed of Partition may be filed with the relevant District or Additional District Sub-Registrar. When a partition deed is registered with the government, applicable stamp duties must be paid.

Conclusion

Even while it is not always necessary to provide legal notice before filing a claim, it is nonetheless thought of as a crucial document in every legal action because, in the majority of cases, serious issues or problems are resolved even without going to court with a simple note. 

The ability of the attorney to communicate pertinent legal concerns clearly and understandably to the reader will also influence how effective the legal notice is.