Opinion ID: 2207646
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Delaware Retains Common Law Life Tenant's Partition Proceedings

Text: Absent specific statutory authorization, the general common law rule is the law of Delaware: a life tenant is not entitled to maintain partition against the holder of a remainder interest. 25 Del.C. § 751. See 59A Am. Jur.2d Partition § 33 (1987); 4 Thompson, Commentaries on the Modern Law of Real Property § 1824, at 293. See also Restatement of the Law of Property §§ 126, 172 (1936 & Supp.1992). The principal Delaware authority relied upon by Peters in arguing for a departure from the general common law rule is distinguishable from the present case. Parker v. Parker, Del.Ch., C.A. No. G-104, Berger, V.C., 1985 WL 149628 (Sept. 5, 1985). Moreover, the holding in Parker is consistent with the general common law rule. Id. In Parker, the petitioner, like Peters, held a life estate in certain real property as a tenant in common. The Court of Chancery determined that the real property at issue in Parker could not be equitably partitioned in kind. Therefore, the real property in Parker was ordered to be sold to eliminate the concurrent co-tenancies. See 25 Del.C. § 721(c). The sale of the real property in Parker had the effect not only of severing the life estate from the other concurrent co-tenancies, but also of changing the nature of the successive remainder interest from realty to personalty. See id. Therefore, in Parker, the Court of Chancery did not have to consider whether, in the absence of a concurrent ownership interest, the holder of a life estate could compel partition as against the holder of a remainder interest. By contrast, the Houston Farm in the case sub judice was capable of being partitioned in kind. Consequently, Peters' co-tenancy could be severed from the concurrent ownership interests of Thomas, Sr. and Robert without the necessity of also severing his life estate from the successive remainder interest of Thomas, Jr. The general common law rule, which prohibits a partition of successive interests only, is retained by Delaware's partition statute. 25 Del.C. § 737. [3] Section 737 provides that real estate shall not be partitioned until the determination of any life estate unless (i) the holder of the life estate and at least one other party joins in the petition, or (ii) the life estate is in an undivided share of the parcel. Id. In this case, the Court of Chancery properly held that Delaware's statutory limitations on the right to partition by a life tenant reflect the common law rule. See Ex parte Burgess, Del.Ch., 1 Del.Ch. 233, 237-39 (1822). In Delaware, the holder of a life estate is allowed to compel partition no further than is necessary to sever the concurrent co-tenancy. 25 Del.C. §§ 721(c), 737. The Court of Chancery severed Peters' concurrent ownership interest as a tenant in common by partitioning the Houston Farm into three parts. Peters has no statutory or common law right to compel further partition of the one-third share to which his life estate was assigned in order to sever it from Thomas, Jr.'s successive remainder interest.