Courts may keep jointly owned homes undivided, under conditions

A new decree-law regulates the partition of jointly owned residential property by amending Article 830 of the Civil Code. At the request of one co-owner, a court may order the property to remain in joint ownership for a period it sets. The co-owner must prove that the property is their only home and that their means are insufficient to buy suitable housing. During a partition case, any co-owner may also ask to acquire the share of the partner seeking partition, at a value set by a court-appointed expert. The provisions apply to partition cases not yet settled by a final ruling, unless an auction award has already been issued for the property.