PA partition action — when co-owners can't agree on selling

What is a partition action and how long does it take in Pennsylvania?

A partition action in Pennsylvania is a lawsuit filed in the county Court of Common Pleas by one co-owner against the other co-owners to force either a physical division of the property or, more commonly, a court-ordered sale with the proceeds divided according to ownership percentages. Under 68 Pa.C.S. § 101 et seq., the court has two options: partition in kind (physical division — rarely feasible for a single house) or partition by sale, which is what nearly all real-estate partitions become.

Timeline is 9-18 months from filing to closing, with attorney fees typically $8,000-$25,000 per side plus appraiser and court costs paid from sale proceeds. Because the court can't force a reluctant co-owner to buy out the others, the practical outcome is almost always an outside-buyer sale — which is why a voluntary cash sale before filing usually nets every co-owner more money in less time.