As Introduced                            1            

122nd General Assembly                                             4            

   Regular Session                                   S. B. No. 88  5            

      1997-1998                                                    6            


                          SENATOR LATTA                            8            


                                                                   10           

                           A   B I L L                                          

             To amend sections 5307.04, 5307.05, 5307.06,          11           

                5307.07, 5307.08, 5307.09, 5307.12, 5307.15,       12           

                5307.17, and 5307.18 of the Revised Code to                     

                change the qualifications and required number of   13           

                commissioners in partition actions.                             




BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:        15           

      Section 1.  That sections 5307.04, 5307.05, 5307.06,         16           

5307.07, 5307.08, 5307.09, 5307.12, 5307.15, 5307.17, and 5307.18  17           

of the Revised Code be amended to read as follows:                 18           

      Sec. 5307.04.  If the court of common pleas finds that the   27           

plaintiff in an action for partition has a legal right to any      28           

part of the estate, it shall order partition thereof OF THE        29           

ESTATE in favor of the plaintiff or all INTERESTED parties in      30           

interest, appoint three ONE SUITABLE disinterested and judicious   32           

freeholders of the vicinity PERSON to be commissioners THE         34           

COMMISSIONER to make the partition, and order ISSUE a writ of      35           

partition to issue.  THE COURT ON ITS OWN MOTION MAY, AND UPON     36           

MOTION OF A PARTY OR ANY OTHER INTERESTED PERSON SHALL, APPOINT                 

ONE OR TWO ADDITIONAL SUITABLE PERSONS TO BE COMMISSIONERS.  IF    37           

THE ESTATE TO BE PARTITIONED EXTENDS BEYOND THE COUNTY IN WHICH    38           

THE ACTION IS COMMENCED, THE COURT MAY APPOINT A SEPARATE          39           

COMMISSIONER OR COMMISSIONERS, NOT TO EXCEED THREE, TO MAKE THE    40           

PARTITION OF THAT PORTION OF THE ESTATE LOCATED IN THE OTHER       41           

COUNTY.                                                                         

      Sec. 5307.05.  The A writ of partition ISSUED UNDER SECTION  50           

5307.04 OF THE REVISED CODE may be directed to the sheriff of any  51           

                                                          2      

                                                                 
of the counties in which any part of the estate lies, and shall    52           

command such THE sheriff that, by the oaths of the COMMISSIONER    54           

OR commissioners who are provided for in section 5307.04 of the    56           

Revised Code, he, THE SHERIFF shall cause to be set off and        57           

divided to the plaintiff or each INTERESTED party in interest,     59           

such WHATEVER part and proportion of the estate as the court of    61           

common pleas orders.                                                            

      The oaths of the COMMISSIONER OR commissioners may be        63           

administered by the sheriff.                                       64           

      Sec. 5307.06.  In making a partition, the COMMISSIONER OR    73           

commissioners provided for in section 5307.04 of the Revised Code  75           

shall view and examine the estate, and, on their oaths, AND        77           

having due regard to the improvements, situation, and quality of   78           

the different parts, set it apart in such lots as THAT will be     79           

most advantageous and equitable.                                   81           

      If the COMMISSIONER OR commissioners set such THE estate     83           

apart in lots, it shall be surveyed and platted in compliance      85           

with sections 711.001 to 711.15 of the Revised Code and with       86           

rules adopted pursuant to those sections.                                       

      Sec. 5307.07.  When partition of more than one tract is      95           

demanded, the COMMISSIONER OR commissioners provided for in        97           

section 5307.04 of the Revised Code shall set off to each          99           

plaintiff or INTERESTED party in interests his THE PLAINTIFF'S OR  100          

INTERESTED PARTY'S proper proportion in each of the several        103          

tracts unless the tracts are owned by the same proprietors in                   

like proportion in each tract, in which case the share of any      104          

proprietor, in all the tracts, may be set off to him THE           106          

PROPRIETOR according to the best discretion of such THE            108          

COMMISSIONER OR commissioners.  If the COMMISSIONER OR             109          

commissioners divide any tract, it shall be surveyed and platted   112          

in compliance with sections 711.001  to 711.15 of the Revised                   

Code and with rules adopted pursuant to those sections.            113          

      Sec. 5307.08.  Before a writ of partition is issued UNDER    122          

SECTION 5307.04 OF THE REVISED CODE, the person of whom partition  124          

                                                          3      

                                                                 
is demanded may appear in the court of common pleas in person or   125          

by attorney, and consent to a partition of the estate agreeable    126          

to the prayer and facts set forth in the petition, which amicable  127          

partition, when made and recorded, shall be valid and binding      128          

between the parties to the partition.  In such cases, IN WHICH A   129          

REQUESTED PARTITION IS CONSENTED TO UNDER THIS SECTION and in all  130          

cases in which the lands are divided among the parties by the      132          

COMMISSIONER OR commissioners provided for in section 5307.04 of   135          

the Revised Code, the court shall order the sheriff to execute                  

and deliver a deed to each person entitled to a deed for the       136          

portion set off and assigned to him THE PERSON.  Land divided      137          

pursuant to this section shall be surveyed and platted in          139          

compliance with sections 711.001 to 711.15 of the Revised Code     140          

and with rules adopted pursuant to those sections.                 141          

      Sec. 5307.09.  When the COMMISSIONER OR commissioners        150          

provided for in section 5307.04 of the Revised Code are of         152          

opinion that the estate cannot be divided according to the demand  154          

of the writ of partition without manifest injury to its value,                  

they THE COMMISSIONER OR COMMISSIONERS shall return that fact to   156          

the court of common pleas with a just valuation of the estate.     157          

If such THE court approves the return, and IF one or more of the   158          

parties elects to take the estate at such THE appraised value, it  159          

shall be adjudged to them, upon their paying to the other parties  161          

their proportion of its appraised value, according to their        162          

respective rights, or securing it as provided in section 5307.10   163          

of the Revised Code.                                                            

      Sec. 5307.12.  A sale of an estate under section 5307.11 of  172          

the Revised Code shall be made at the door of the courthouse,      173          

unless for good cause the court of common pleas directs it to be   175          

made on the premises.  The sale shall be conducted as upon         176          

execution, except that IT is unnecessary to appraise the estate;   177          

but it shall not be sold for less than two thirds of the value     178          

returned by the COMMISSIONER OR commissioners provided for in      179          

section 5307.04 of the Revised Code.  Unless by special order, on  181          

                                                          4      

                                                                 
good cause shown, the court directs the entire payment to be made  182          

in cash, the purchase money shall be payable one third on the day               

of sale, one third in one year AFTER THE SALE, and one third in    184          

two years thereafter AFTER THE SALE, with interest.                185          

      Sec. 5307.15.  When the estate has been offered once and     194          

not sold, alias writs for its sale may issue as often as need be.  195          

The court of common pleas may order a revaluation by UP TO three   196          

SUITABLE disinterested freeholders of the vicinity PERSONS and     197          

direct a sale of the estate at not less than two thirds of such    198          

THE revaluation, or, if deemed for the interest of the parties,    200          

the court may order a sale without such A revaluation, at not      201          

less than a sum it fixes.                                                       

      Sec. 5307.17.  (A)  When a widow is entitled to dower in an  210          

estate of which partition is sought, dower must be assigned her    211          

therein IN THE ESTATE, except in the following cases:              212          

      (A)(1)  When an assignment of dower already has been made;   214          

      (B)(2)  When, by answer, she has elected to be endowed out   216          

of the proceeds of a sale of the estate, and the COMMISSIONER OR   217          

commissioners provided for in section 5307.04 of the Revised Code  218          

do not make partition, but return a valuation of it;               219          

      (C) (3)  When the right of dower extends only to an          221          

undivided interest in the estate.                                  222          

      (B)  In the latter case CASES IN WHICH THE RIGHT OF DOWER    224          

EXTENDS ONLY TO AN UNDIVIDED INTEREST IN THE ESTATE, and in cases  225          

in which an undivided interest is subject to a life estate, and    227          

the tenant for life has not, by answer, elected to receive the     228          

value of his THE TENANT FOR LIFE'S estate out of the proceeds of   230          

a sale of such interest, if an appraisement of the estate is to    231          

be returned, the COMMISSIONER OR commissioners may assign the      232          

dower, or set off the life estate, or, if they THE COMMISSIONER    234          

OR COMMISSIONERS find it for the interest of the parties to do     235          

so, they THE COMMISSIONER OR COMMISSIONERS may appraise the whole  236          

interest, and the widow and the tenant for life shall receive the  237          

value of their interests out of the proceeds of a sale of it.      238          

                                                          5      

                                                                 
      Sec. 5307.18.  The COMMISSIONER OR commissioners provided    247          

for in section 5307.04 of the Revised Code shall set off to a      248          

widow her dower in the estate under section 5307.17 of the         249          

Revised Code.  In the performance of that duty they, THE           250          

COMMISSIONER OR COMMISSIONERS shall be governed by, and the        251          

proceedings shall conform to, sections 5305.01 to 5305.22,         252          

inclusive, of the Revised Code.                                                 

      Section 2.  That existing sections 5307.04, 5307.05,         254          

5307.06, 5307.07, 5307.08, 5307.09, 5307.12, 5307.15, 5307.17,     255          

and 5307.18 of the Revised Code are hereby repealed.               256