When there is a partition of any real estate owned by two or more persons as joint tenants, tenants in common or coparceners and taxes or taxes, penalty and interest or levies or assessments of any kind, whether state, county, city or town, are charged or chargeable against the joint estate, the circuit court of the county or the city in which such real estate is situated, shall, on the motion of any person to whom a portion of such real estate has been set off or allotted, or on the motion of any person who has the right to charge such portion or portions with a debt, ascertain and fix the pro rata of such amount aforesaid, which should be paid by such person on the portion or portions of such real estate set off or allotted to him. When the pro rata of such amount has been so ascertained and paid, he shall hold the portion or portions of such real estate set off or allotted to him or them, free from the residue of the tax, or tax, penalty and interest or levy or assessment charged on the tract before partition. And the portion or portions of such real estate set off or allotted to the person who shall not have paid their pro rata of the tax, or the tax, penalty and interest or levy or assessment, shall be charged with and held bound for the portion of such amount aforesaid remaining unpaid, in the same manner as if the partition had been made before the tax, or tax penalty and interest or levy or assessment had been assessed or accrued.

Code 1950, § 58-826; 1984, c. 675.