Can I get a court order to sell my house?
Ava Mcdaniel
Updated on March 15, 2026
You can obtain a court order to sell a co-owned property if the court finds you have a compelling reason to sell. This is called a partition action. Actual acreage of a property is easy for a court to divide up to co-owners– like with farmland. But when it's more complicated when it comes to dividing up houses.
What happens if your ex refuses to sell your house?
If an ex-spouse is refusing to comply completely, then your attorney may file a motion for contempt. This motion will tell the court that your ex-spouse was ordered to sell the house, but is willfully failing to do so.How do I force my house to sell?
In short, to force the sale of jointly owned property, you must first confirm title, then attempt a voluntary sale or buyout, file and serve a partition lawsuit, get an appraisal, sell the property, and finally divide the sale proceeds fairly.What happens if one person wants to sell a house and the other doesn t?
You may have no other choice but to go to court to force a sale. The proceeds of the house sale may go toward paying your mortgage off and you can walk away. However, if you transfer ownership in another way, you'll need to ensure that the remaining co-owners are willing and are able to refinance the loan without you.Can I force my ex to sell the house UK?
Unless you agree to voluntarily sell the property your partner cannot force a sale. However, they can apply to the court for an order for sale of the property. The court will take into account a number of factors regarding your circumstances and whether the property is a family home to dependent children.Foreclosures and Court Ordered Sales
How do I force a sale of a jointly owned property UK?
If you are living in the jointly owned family home, unless you agree to voluntarily sell the home your spouse or partner can apply to the Court for an order for sale of the property. The Court will normally only make an Order for sale at a final hearing.What circumstances can you force a house sale?
A homeowner can force a sale that is co-owned, either by negotiating a buyout, selling your share to a new owner, or getting a court-forced to sale. A mortgage is an additional legal issue that needs to be addressed in a forced home sale.Can I be forced to sell a jointly owned house?
In cases of joint ownership or tenancy, neither can remove the other unless an exclusion order is obtained from the court. If one spouse or civil partner wishes to sell the family home and the other does not, then an application will need to be made to court.Can you sell a house if you only own half?
If you own a home, you can make the decision to sell it at any time. That all changes, however, if you own the property along with someone else. If you share ownership with another person, neither of you can sell the property without permission from the other.Can an executor force the sale of a property?
The Executor of an Estate is allowed to sell property owned by the deceased person, as long as there are no surviving joint owners or clauses in the Will that prevent selling the property.Can a beneficiary force the sale of a property?
No. All of the inheritors of the house will need to agree before a sale goes ahead. One of the biggest questions around inheriting property with a sibling is if a sale can be forced. The short answer is no; if more than one person has inherited shares, then any sale must have all shareholder's consent.How do you split jointly owned property?
The partition deed legally divides the property among the co-owners. Each person becomes the primary owner of their allotted portion in the property. Each part of the property divided, gets a new title and each sharer gives up his/her interest in the property in interest of the other sharers.Can I be forced to sell my house in a divorce?
Can a court force the sale of a house in a divorce? Yes. The court can make an order for the matrimonial home to be put on the market as part of the divorce settlement.Can I sell my house if my partner doesn't want to?
If one person wishes to sell the house and the other does not, an action of division and sale needs to be raised to ask the court to order a sale. The other person can ask the court to postpone or refuse the sale.How do you sell your house after a break up?
How the home can be divided
- Sell, split the money and move elsewhere separately.
- One of you buys the other out.
- Transfer some of the property value to the other partner. ...
- Keep the home and rent it out – This is fine if you are on good terms with each other, but can be quite complicated if the relationship has become sour.
Why moving out is the biggest mistake in a divorce?
You Can Damage Your Child Custody ClaimOne of the most significant ways moving out can influence your divorce is when it comes to child custody. If you move out, it means you don't spend as much time with your kids. Not only can this harm your relationship, but it can also damage your custody claim.