NC H976

Enacts the Uniform Partition of Heirs Property Act to govern partition proceedings for real property held in tenancy in common where 20% or more of interests are held by relatives or individuals who acquired title from relatives

Requires court-ordered appraisal by a licensed appraiser to determine fair market value before partition, with parties able to object within 30 days of notice

Creates a cotenant buyout process allowing cotenants who did not request partition by sale to purchase the interests of those who did, with 45 days to elect and 60 days to pay into court

Establishes partition in kind (physical division) as the preferred method unless it would cause substantial injury to cotenants as a group, requiring courts to consider factors including sentimental attachment, ancestral value, and duration of family ownership

Becomes effective January 1, 2026, and applies to partition petitions filed on or after that date