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2018 Georgia Code 44-6-167 | Car Wreck Lawyer

TITLE 44 PROPERTY

Section 6. Estates, 44-6-1 through 44-6-206.

ARTICLE 7 TENANCY IN COMMON

44-6-167. When sale of lands ordered; procedure; place of sale; notice.

In the event lands and tenements sought to be partitioned are not sold pursuant to Code Section 44-6-166.1, the court shall order a public sale of such lands and tenements. The court shall appoint three discreet persons as commissioners to conduct such sale under such regulations and upon such just and equitable terms as it may prescribe. The sale shall take place on the first Tuesday in the month, shall be at the place of public sales in the county in which the land is located, and shall be advertised in some public newspaper once a week for four weeks. This Code section shall not be construed to change the place of sale in those counties where by law sheriffs' sales are required to take place at the courthouse.

(Laws 1837, Cobb's 1851 Digest, p. 584; Code 1863, § 3903; Code 1868, § 3927; Code 1873, § 4003; Code 1882, § 4003; Ga. L. 1887, p. 29, § 1; Civil Code 1895, § 4793; Ga. L. 1903, p. 40, § 1; Civil Code 1910, § 5365; Code 1933, § 85-1511; Ga. L. 1983, p. 1182, § 2.)

Editor's notes.

- Provisions which, prior to the 1983 amendment of this section, appeared in the first sentence of this Code section now appear in § 44-6-166.1. Applicable case notes have been transferred to § 44-6-166.1.

Law reviews.

- For article surveying developments in Georgia real property law from mid-1980 through mid-1981, see 33 Mercer L. Rev. 219 (1981).

JUDICIAL DECISIONS

Availability of remedy.

- Even if a party in interest does not pursue the remedy under O.C.G.A. § 44-6-166.1, the petitioner may still seek a public sale under O.C.G.A. § 44-6-167 by convincing the court that a fair and equitable division of the property cannot be made by means of metes and bounds because of improvements on the property because the premises are valuable for mining purposes or for the erection of mills or other machinery, or because the value of the entire property will be depreciated by the partition applied for. Stone v. Benton, 258 Ga. 539, 371 S.E.2d 864 (1988).

When petitioner may pursue remedy of public sale.

- First tenant in common was only entitled to pursue the remedy of a public sale under O.C.G.A. § 44-6-167 if the first tenant in common filed a direct action under that statute and argued that a fair and equitable division of the property, the first tenant in common and the second tenant in common's sign, could not be made under O.C.G.A. § 44-6-166.1, but since the first tenant in common did not do that and merely refiled the first tenant in common's action under O.C.G.A. § 44-6-166.1 and asserted the same claims that had been previously rejected, the trial court was entitled to award attorney fees to the second tenant in common. Caudell v. Toccoa Inn, Inc., 261 Ga. App. 209, 582 S.E.2d 180 (2003).

Application to partition certain land is a purely statutory proceeding. Nash v. Williamson, 212 Ga. 804, 96 S.E.2d 251 (1957).

Statutory partition more appropriate.

- Trial court erred by ordering the equitable partition sale of 3.503 acres of real property because the co-owner failed to show that the remedy at law of a statutory partition, pursuant to O.C.G.A. § 44-6-160 et seq., was insufficient or that peculiar circumstances rendered the equitable proceeding more suitable and just; and, in a statutory partition, a court may order the sale of property that cannot be fairly divided by metes and bounds. Pack v. Mahan, 294 Ga. 496, 755 S.E.2d 126 (2014).

Petition not made equitable merely by allegations of uncertainty of interests and difficulty of partitioning.

- Allegations in a petition that there was some uncertainty about all parties having an interest in the land and praying for the appointment of a guardian ad litem for unnamed parties at interest, and alleging that the property could not be partitioned by metes and bounds, do not make the petition an equitable one for partition. Brinson v. Thornton, 220 Ga. 234, 138 S.E.2d 268 (1964).

Prayer for accounting insufficient to render action equitable.

- Equity does not have jurisdiction of a purely statutory partition case merely because the application prays for an accounting as to grantors when there was no filing of a suit and summons and process. Bodrey v. Bodrey, 225 Ga. 822, 171 S.E.2d 614 (1969), overruled on other grounds, Wiley v. Wiley, 233 Ga. 824, 213 S.E.2d 682 (1975).

Notice of petition provisions inapplicable when petition prays for sale of lands.

- When the petition stated an equitable cause of action for partition and accounting under former Code 1933, § 85-1511 (see O.C.G.A. § 44-6-167), the notice provisions of former Code 1933, § 85-1506 (see O.C.G.A. § 44-6-162) did not apply. Mills v. Williams, 208 Ga. 425, 67 S.E.2d 212 (1951).

Sale notice provision complied with by inserting advertising in each of four preceding calendar weeks.

- Term "once a week for four weeks" is complied with by the insertion of the advertisement in each of the four calendar weeks preceding that in which the sale is had, although 28 days do not elapse between the date of the first insertion and the date of the sale. Heist v. Dunlap & Co., 193 Ga. 462, 18 S.E.2d 837 (1942).

Sale terms and conditions left to commissioners, subject to court review.

- Statute clearly does not require the trial court to prescribe the regulations and terms governing the sale, but is directory only. Discretion as to the terms and conditions of the sale is left to the commissioners, whose actions are subject to review by the trial court in the confirmation proceedings. Wiley v. Wiley, 233 Ga. 824, 213 S.E.2d 682 (1975) (see O.C.G.A. § 44-6-167).

Discretion as to the terms and conditions of the sale is left to the commissioners, whose actions are subject to review by the trial court in the confirmation proceedings. Bernstein v. Bernstein, 235 Ga. 220, 219 S.E.2d 100 (1975).

Sale order failing to prescribe terms not invalid if nobody deceived.

- Order of sale is not invalid if the order only failed to prescribe the terms and conditions of the sale; i.e., whether for cash or on terms, as long as nobody was misled or deceived by the manner in which the sale was conducted. Bernstein v. Bernstein, 235 Ga. 220, 219 S.E.2d 100 (1975).

Changes occurring after sale cannot mandate partition in kind.

- Changes in conditions occurring after an order of sale which facilitate partition by metes and bounds do not mandate such a division. McClain v. McClain, 241 Ga. 162, 243 S.E.2d 879 (1978).

Costs of upkeep, improvements, and repair of the property were not considered "contributions" when dividing the proceeds of the sale of the property pursuant to a written agreement between the parties which stated that the property would be divided "to the extent of each party's contribution." Maree v. Phillips, 272 Ga. 52, 525 S.E.2d 94 (2000).

Parties entitled to have accounts adjusted after sale.

- In a suit for equitable partition, sale of the property, and satisfaction of all liens, each party is entitled to have each party's accounts and claims adjusted by the court after the sale and before the distribution of the proceeds. In so doing, the court should consider expenditures of either party for improvements to the property, taxes or other expenses, and income received by either party from the rental of the property. Baker v. Baker, 242 Ga. 525, 250 S.E.2d 436 (1978).

Attorney's fees not authorized.

- Former Civil Code 1910, §§ 5365 and 5366 (see O.C.G.A. §§ 44-6-167 and44-6-168) did not authorize the award from the fund of fees for the attorneys representing the applicants for partition. Neal v. Neal, 140 Ga. 734, 79 S.E. 849 (1913).

Sale is subject to confirmation by the court. Oswald v. Johnson, 140 Ga. 62, 78 S.E. 333, 1914 Am. Ann. Cas. 1 (1913).

Because all parties received proper notice of the partition action and, in fact, agreed to the entry of a final consent judgment of partition which gave rise to the trial court's authority to order the public sale, the trial court properly confirmed the sale of the property and directed the parties and parties in interest to execute the deeds. Jacobs v. Young, 291 Ga. 778, 732 S.E.2d 69 (2012).

Any party in interest may file objections to the confirmation at the term of the court to which the commissioners conducting the sale make their report, if done before the confirmation. Oswald v. Johnson, 140 Ga. 62, 78 S.E. 333, 1914 Am. Ann. Cas. 1 (1913).

Jurisdiction of appeal from judgment in action involving statutory partitioning proceedings is in Supreme Court. Wiley v. Wiley, 233 Ga. 824, 213 S.E.2d 682 (1975).

Appeal not timely until judge appoints commissioners and orders sale.

- In a case where a partition is sought by bringing the lands involved to sale, the objecting party may only bring the case to the Supreme Court by a proper bill of exceptions after the judge has appointed commissioners and ordered the commissioners to sell the land. Lanier v. Gay, 195 Ga. 859, 25 S.E.2d 642 (1943).

Cited in Lankford v. Milhollin, 197 Ga. 227, 28 S.E.2d 752 (1944); Wood v. W.P. Brown & Sons Lumber Co., 199 Ga. 167, 33 S.E.2d 435 (1945); Leggitt v. Allen, 85 Ga. App. 280, 69 S.E.2d 106 (1952); Liddell v. Johnson, 213 Ga. 752, 101 S.E.2d 755 (1958); Bufford v. Bufford, 221 Ga. 13, 142 S.E.2d 796 (1965); Goodman v. Georgia R.R. Bank & Trust Co., 221 Ga. 396, 144 S.E.2d 764 (1965); White v. Howell, 224 Ga. 135, 160 S.E.2d 374 (1968); Shaw v. Davis, 119 Ga. App. 801, 168 S.E.2d 853 (1969); Hames v. Shaver, 229 Ga. 412, 191 S.E.2d 861 (1972); Gray v. Hall, 233 Ga. 244, 210 S.E.2d 766 (1974); Brannon v. Simpson, 244 Ga. 58, 257 S.E.2d 541 (1979); Iteld v. Silverboard, 247 Ga. 158, 275 S.E.2d 645 (1981); Silverboard v. Iteld, 248 Ga. 589, 285 S.E.2d 182 (1981).

RESEARCH REFERENCES

Am. Jur. 2d.

- 59A Am. Jur. 2d, Partition, §§ 99, 100, 131 et seq.

C.J.S.

- 68 C.J.S., Partition, §§ 230 et seq, 293, 303.

ALR.

- Timber rights as subject to partition, 21 A.L.R.2d 618.

Contractual provisions as affecting right to judicial partition, 37 A.L.R.3d 962.

Cases Citing O.C.G.A. § 44-6-167

Total Results: 8  |  Sort by: Relevance  |  Newest First

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Pack v. Mahan, 294 Ga. 496 (Ga. 2014).

Cited 7 times | Published | Supreme Court of Georgia | Feb 24, 2014 | 755 S.E.2d 126, 2014 Fulton County D. Rep. 272

...cannot be divided fairly, the land may be appraised and a party in interest given the opportunity to purchase the petitioner’s share before a public sale is ordered. OCGA § 44-6-166.1. Alternatively, land may become subject to public sale under OCGA § 44-6-167 if it is not sold pursuant to the procedure set out in OCGA § 44-6- 166.1 or if a petitioner convinces the court that a fair and equitable division of the property cannot be made by means of metes and...
...utory partition proceeding). Because the evidence in this case supports the findings of the court below, and because Pack could not purchase Mahan’s interest, the court did not err when it ordered a public sale of the property. See OCGA § 44-6-167 (“In the event lands and tenements sought to be partitioned are not sold pursuant to Code Section 44-6-166.1, the court shall order a public sale of such lands and tenements.”); Wilkerson, 126 Ga....
...For that reason, we affirm the order that the property be sold. Nevertheless, we vacate those portions of the judgment in which the court purported to award equitable relief and in which it set forth the procedure governing the sale of the property without requiring compliance with OCGA § 44-6-167....
...And we remand the case for entry of a judgment that does not refer to OCGA § 44-6-140 and the intervention of equity and that orders a public sale — under such regulations and on such just and equitable terms as the court below may prescribe — after appointment of commissioners and advertisement as provided in OCGA § 44-6-167....
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Maree v. Phillips, 274 Ga. 369 (Ga. 2001).

Cited 7 times | Published | Supreme Court of Georgia | Sep 17, 2001 | 552 S.E.2d 837

...f a cohabitation agreement between the parties. Maree v. Phillips, 272 Ga. 52 (525 SE2d 94) (2000) (“Maree I"). Upon return of the remittitur, the trial court appointed three commissioners to conduct a public sale of the property pursuant to OCGA § 44-6-167; the property was sold; and the proceeds were paid into the registry of the court for distribution to the parties....
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Stone v. Benton, 371 S.E.2d 864 (Ga. 1988).

Cited 6 times | Published | Supreme Court of Georgia | Sep 28, 1988 | 258 Ga. 539

...Before the legislature passed OCGA § 44-6-166.1, a statutory partition action had two possible outcomes at law. A court could either divide the land under § 44-6-160 or if the land could not be divided fairly, the court could order a public sale under § 44-6-167. In 1983, the legislature added § 44-6-166.1 and amended § 44-6-167....
...But OCGA § 44-6-166.1 does not end the remedies provided by the statute. "In the event lands and tenements sought to be partitioned are not sold pursuant to Code Section 44-6-166.1, the court shall order a public sale of such lands and tenements." OCGA § 44-6-167. *540 The legislature added § 44-6-166.1 in order to give a party in interest the opportunity to purchase the land before a public sale is ordered, but the legislature did not intend to make the availability of a public sale under § 44-6-167 wholly dependant on whether a party in interest seeks a buy-out under § 44-6-166.1....
...To hold otherwise would mean that every partition action would have an inadequate remedy at law merely because a party in interest did not seek a buyout. We hold that even if a party in interest does not pursue the remedy under § 44-6-166.1, the petitioner may still seek a public sale under § 44-6-167 by convincing the court that a fair and equitable division of the property cannot be made by means of metes and bounds because of improvements on the property, because the premises are valuable for mining purposes or for the erection of m...
...Because the addition of § 44-6-166.1 does not render Stone's remedy at law inadequate, she may not pursue an equitable remedy. Although Stone is barred by § 44-6-166.1 from seeking to buy out Benton's interest in the land, she nevertheless has an adequate remedy at law under the public sale provision, OCGA § 44-6-167....
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Maree v. Phillips, 525 S.E.2d 94 (Ga. 2000).

Cited 4 times | Published | Supreme Court of Georgia | Jan 18, 2000 | 272 Ga. 52, 2000 Fulton County D. Rep. 261

...*95 Chamberlain Hrdlicka White Williams, Richard N. Hubert, Atlanta, for appellant. Warren R. Hinds, Atlanta, for appellee. BENHAM, Chief Justice. This appeal follows the entry of final judgment in a case in which, pursuant to OCGA §§ 44-6-166.1 and 44-6-167 and the petitions of the parties, the trial court ordered the sale of certain real property owned by the parties as joint tenants with right of survivorship, and the division of the proceeds according to the parties' Cohabitation Agreement ("the Agreement"), as construed by the trial court....
...Therefore, appellant may not on appeal complain that the trial court erred in dividing the proceeds pursuant to the terms of the Agreement. Similarly, since appellant asked the trial court to order a public sale and partition pursuant to OCGA §§ 44-6-166.1 and 44-6-167, we will not consider whether the trial court erred in doing as appellant asked....
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Lassiter Props., Inc. v. Gresham, 258 Ga. 500 (Ga. 1988).

Cited 4 times | Published | Supreme Court of Georgia | Sep 14, 1988 | 371 S.E.2d 650

...Section 44-6-166.1 *501(e) (1) provides that “no later than 90 days after the appraised price is established, the parties in interest shall tender to the court sufficient sums to pay to petitioners their shares of the appraised price. . . .or the property shall be subject to public sale pursuant to OCGA § 44-6-167.” On March 15, 1988, the trial court entered an order providing that the appellees would be permitted to tender to the court, within 60 days of the date of the order, sufficient sums to pay appellant its respective share of the appraised price of the property....
...The first issue raised by the parties is whether the trial court’s judgment is final such that it may be directly appealed to this court. Prior to 1983 the remedy for one seeking to partition lands which could not be fairly divided was a public sale. OCGA § 44-6-167. The statute provided for the court to appoint three commissioners to conduct the sale of the land. In 1983 the legislature enacted OCGA § 44-6-167.1 to allow an owner of an interest in the land to purchase the property from the other owners without resorting to a public sale. OCGA § 44-6-167 remains a remedy where the lands are not sold pursuant to OCGA § 44-6-166.1. In construing OCGA § 44-6-167, this court has held that an order of the trial court appointing the commissioners and ordering them to conduct the sale is a final judgment which may be appealed to this court....
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Mansour Props., L.L.C. v. I-85/GA. 20 Ventures, Inc., 277 Ga. 632 (Ga. 2004).

Cited 2 times | Published | Supreme Court of Georgia | Feb 16, 2004 | 592 S.E.2d 836, 2004 Fulton County D. Rep. 1013

...67 was established. The court then issued a final order pursuant to OCGA § 44-6-166.1 (e) (1), requiring Mansour to tender into the court its share of the appraised price, or the property would be subject to public sale under the provisions of OCGA § 44-6-167....
...the investor status of Mansour.” And the contract further provided that any transferee would assume “the rights, duties, and obligations” of the transferor. This would not occur if the property were to become subject to public sale under OCGA § 44-6-167....
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Jacobs v. Young, 291 Ga. 778 (Ga. 2012).

Cited 1 times | Published | Supreme Court of Georgia | Oct 1, 2012 | 732 S.E.2d 69

Thompson, Presiding Justice. We are called upon in these appeals to determine whether the trial court was authorized to order the public sale of land jointly-owned by the parties in the underlying partition action. See OCGA §§ 44-6-166.1; 44-6-167....
...o appearance by Young or anyone on her behalf, the trial court struck Young’s pleadings, entered judgment in favor of the petitioners, and appointed three commissioners to conduct the sale of the property consistent with the requirements of OCGA §§ 44-6-167-44-6-169, which set forth the procedure to be used when land sought to be partitioned is not sold pursuant to OCGA § 44-6-166.1....
...ided by the trial court after certain petitioners alleged counsel had acted without authority in seeking the partition order. In September 2011, petitioner Florence Brown through new counsel filed a motion for order for public sale pursuant to OCGA § 44-6-167. Notice of the motion was provided to appellant through her new counsel, who simultaneously represented several other parties in interest. After a hearing on Brown’s motion, the trial court entered an order for public sale pursuant to OCGA § 44-6-167 and appointed three commissioners to conduct the sale....
...ot be divided fairly, the land may be appraised and a party in interest given the opportunity to purchase the petitioner’s share before a public sale is ordered.2 OCGA § 44-6-166.1. Alternatively, land may become subject to public sale under OCGA § 44-6-167 if it is not sold pursuant to the procedure set out in OCGA § 44-6-166.1 or if a petitioner con*780vinces the court that a fair and equitable division of the property cannot be made by means of metes and bounds because of improvements o...
...until reversed or set aside. No challenge having been made to the judgment of partition and the property not having been sold pursuant to its mandate, as a matter of law the property became subject to public sale according to the procedures of OCGA § 44-6-167 ninety days after the appraised price was established. See OCGA § 44-6-166.1 (e) (1) (property subject to public sale pursuant to OCGA § 44-6-167 no later than ninety days after appraised price established if no party in interest tenders sufficient sums to pay petitioners’ shares in the property). While the record in this case does not establish the exact date upon which the app...
...as set, there is no dispute that the ninety-day time period expired in 2006 while Young was still living. Accordingly, contrary to appellant’s argument, the trial court’s authority to order the public sale of the property in accordance with OCGA § 44-6-167 was established by a valid court order prior to Young’s death and prior to her transfer of the property to the Young Trust. (b) Although the actual sale of the property took place after the transfer of Young’s interest and after her...
...ution of parties. Id. (c) Appellant’s contention that the public sale was improper because the court failed to follow the procedures set out in OCGA § 44-6-166.1 is misplaced. The property in question was sold at a public sale authorized by OCGA § 44-6-167, not OCGA § 44-6-166.1. The only statutory requirement for the conduct of a sale of land pursuant to OCGA § 44-6-167 is that the sale be conducted “under such regulations and upon such just and equitable terms as [the court] may prescribe.” OCGA § 44-6-167; Wiley v....
...ssioners, whose actions are subject to review by trial court in confirmation proceedings). There is no allegation or evidence that the commissioners appointed by the court did not follow proper procedures in the conduct of the public sale under OCGA § 44-6-167orthat the terms of the sale were unjust or inequitable....
...each occasion either to reach an agreement or to conclude the sale to which they had agreed. Unfortunately, by the end of 2011, the trial court was left with no choice but to order the public sale of the property pursuant to its authority under OCGA § 44-6-167....
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Young v. Young, 271 Ga. 568 (Ga. 1999).

Cited 1 times | Published | Supreme Court of Georgia | Oct 18, 1999 | 522 S.E.2d 455, 99 Fulton County D. Rep. 3790

...stice. Appellees Joel and Sadie Young sought an equitable partition of a 159 acre tract of land that they own as tenants in common with appellant Gary Young.1 The trial court ordered that the property be sold following the procedures set out in OCGA § 44-6-167....
...arts shall not be materially less than the value of the whole tract.” The order further provided that if the commissioners agree “that such a division cannot be accomplished,” the court “shall order” a sale following the provisions of OCGA § 44-6-167.2 After an appraisal was obtained and numerous attempts made to arrive at an equitable division, the commissioners filed their report explaining their unsuccessful efforts in determining a division consistent with the consent order....