As used in this article:

(1) "Ascendant" means an individual who precedes another individual in lineage, in the direct line of ascent from the other individual.

(2) "Collateral" means an individual who is related to another individual under the law of intestate succession of this State, but who is not the other individual's ascendant or descendant.

(3) "Descendant" means an individual who follows another individual in lineage, in the direct line of descent from the other individual.

(4) "Determination of value" means a court order determining the fair market value of heirs' property under Section 15-61-360 or Section 15-61-400 or adopting the valuation of the property agreed to by all cotenants.

(5) "Heirs' property" means real property held in tenancy in common that satisfies all of the following requirements as of the filing of a partition action:

(a) there is no agreement in a record binding all of the cotenants that governs the partition of the property;

(b) one or more of the cotenants acquired title from a relative, whether living or deceased; and

(c) any of the following applies:

(i) twenty percent or more of the interests are held by cotenants who are relatives;

(ii) twenty percent or more of the interests are held by an individual who acquired title from a relative, whether living or deceased; or

(iii) twenty percent or more of the cotenants are relatives.

(6) "Manifest prejudice" or "Manifest injury" means a result that is obviously unfair or shocking to the conscience and is direct, obvious, and observable when considering the factors under Section 15-61-390(A).

(7) "Partition by allotment" means a court-ordered partition of the heirs' property where ownership to all or a portion of the heirs' property is granted to one or more cotenants proportionate in value to their interests in the entire heirs' property parcel, with adjustments being made for payment to compensate other cotenants for the value of their respective interests in the heirs' property.

(8) "Partition by sale" means a court-ordered sale of the entire heirs' property, whether by auction, sealed bids, or open-market sale, conducted under Section 15-61-400.

(9) "Partition in kind" means the division of heirs' property into physically distinct and separately titled parcels.

(10) "Record" means information that is inscribed on a tangible medium or that is stored in an electronic or other medium and is retrievable in perceivable form.

(11) "Relative" means an ascendant, descendant, or collateral, or an individual otherwise related to another individual by blood, marriage, adoption, or law of this State other than this article, and for purposes of this article, who owned or owns an interest in the heirs' property.

(12) "Time computed" means computation of time as prescribed by this section, which shall be governed by Rule 6, South Carolina Rules of Civil Procedure, so that when the period of time prescribed or allowed is seven days or less, intermediate Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays are excluded in the computation.

HISTORY: 2016 Act No. 153 (H.3325), Section 1, eff January 1, 2017.

Editor's Note

2016 Act No. 153, Section 6, provides as follows:

"SECTION 6. This act takes effect on January 1, 2017, and applies to partition actions filed on or after that date."