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HRS §668A-10

What the court must weigh before splitting heirs property

When deciding whether to split heirs property instead of selling it, the court must look at several things, like whether the land can be fairly divided, its value, how long family has owned it, emotional ties, current use, who paid costs, and any other relevant facts. No single factor alone decides the case.

courts

The statute, as written — Considerations for partition in kind

(a) In determining under section 668A-9(a) whether partition in kind would result in great prejudice to the cotenants as a group, the court shall consider the following: (1) Whether the heirs property practicably may be divided among the cotenants; (2) Whether partition in kind would apportion the property in such a way that the aggregate fair market value of the parcels resulting from the division would be materially less than the value of the property if it were sold as a whole, taking into account the condition under which the court-ordered sale likely would occur; (3) Evidence of the collective duration of ownership or possession of the property by a cotenant and one or more predecessors in title or predecessors in possession to the cotenant who are or were relatives of that cotenant or each other; (4) A cotenant's sentimental attachment to the property, including, without limitation, any attachment arising because the property has ancestral or other unique or special value to the cotenant; (5) The lawful use being made of the property by a cotenant and the degree to which the cotenant would be harmed if the cotenant could not continue the same use of the property; (6) The degree to which the cotenants have contributed their pro rata share of the property taxes, insurance, and other expenses associated with maintaining ownership of the property or have contributed to the physical improvement, maintenance, or upkeep of the property; and (7) Any other relevant factor. (b) The court shall not consider any one factor in subsection (a) to be dispositive without weighing the totality of all relevant factors and circumstances.
Read the official text at capitol.hawaii.gov ↗as published Jan 6, 2026our copy taken Aug 20, 2026

Sections this one refers to

§668A-9 What happens when a buyout doesn't settle a partition case

LawTrove is not legal advice. The summary above is a computer-generated restatement — the authoritative text is the official version linked above.