Establishing title to the property
Many Corsican properties have been occupied for generations without ownership being recorded in the property register. The notary then draws up an acte de notoriété acquisitive, a deed recording ownership acquired through possession, supported by witness statements, cadastral records, tax rolls and the history of possession.
This procedure takes several months and involves tracing the full line of inheritance — sometimes across three or four generations and several dozen heirs.
Establishing a legally defensible property valuation
When an estate is divided, the agreed value determines fairness between heirs and the amount of tax due. A rough estimate is rarely enough: we produce a documented expert valuation report, based on actual comparable transactions, for use with a notary or in the event of a dispute.
There is a charge for this report, but it is free if you subsequently appoint us to sell the property under a mandate.
Ending joint ownership
There are three routes: an agreed sale of the property with the proceeds divided, a buyout of the shares by one co-owner, or, in the event of a deadlock, a court-supervised auction and division of the proceeds.
An agreed solution is almost always more favourable financially: court-ordered sales frequently achieve less than market value. Our role often involves restoring dialogue between heirs around an impartial, documented figure.
- Sale by agreement: unanimity required, best price
- Buying out shares: requires an agreed valuation
- Court-ordered auction: a last resort, often at a discount
Plan ahead during your lifetime
Donation-partage (a lifetime gift dividing assets between beneficiaries), splitting ownership into use and bare ownership rights, transferring property to a family SCI (property-holding company): several tools can help avoid unwanted joint ownership. The tax cost of an early transfer is almost always lower than the cost of an inheritance deadlock lasting twenty years.