A. If all the interests of all cotenants that requested partition by sale are not purchased by other cotenants pursuant to Section 7 [42-5A-7 NMSA 1978] of the Uniform Partition of Heirs Property Act or if, after conclusion of the buyout under that section, a cotenant remains that has requested partition in kind, the court shall order partition in kind unless the court, after consideration of the factors listed in Section 9 [42-5A-9 NMSA 1978] of the Uniform Partition of Heirs Property Act, finds that partition in kind will result in manifest prejudice to the cotenants as a group. In considering whether to order partition in kind, the court shall approve a request by two or more parties to have their individual interests aggregated.

B. If the court does not order partition in kind under Subsection A of this section, the court shall order partition by sale pursuant to Section 10 [42-5A-10 NMSA 1978] of the Uniform Partition of Heirs Property Act, or if no cotenant requested partition by sale, the court shall dismiss the action.

C. If the court orders partition in kind pursuant to Subsection A of this section, the court may require that one or more cotenants pay one or more other cotenants' amounts so that the payments, taken together with the value of the in-kind distributions to the cotenants, will make the partition in kind just and proportionate in value to the fractional interests held.

D. If the court orders partition in kind, the court shall allocate to the cotenants that are unknown, unlocatable or the subject of a default judgment, if their interests were not bought out pursuant to Section 7 of the Uniform Partition of Heirs Property Act, a part of the property representing the combined interests of these cotenants as determined by the court.

History: Laws 2017, ch. 41, § 8.

Effective dates. — Laws 2017, ch. 41, § 21 made Laws 2017, ch. 41, § 8 effective January 1, 2018.