When someone dies and leaves personal property (like furniture, jewelry, or other belongings) to multiple people, a court can split that property up and give each person their share. To do this fairly, the court can pick up to three neutral helpers (not related to anyone involved) to figure out how to divide things as equally as possible. Those helpers report back to the court, and the court can approve, change, or reject their plan and try again until the split seems fair.
473.640. of . — If personal property which is to be may be divided in kind, the court may a partition thereof among the parties entitled; and for that purpose the court may appoint not more than three , and of no kin to the parties, who, after making that they honestly and the reposed in them, shall make partition as equal in kind as the value and numbers of the articles of property will admit and report their proceedings to the court at a time by the court. The court shall consider all objections to the report and may approve or the report and order partition accordingly or it may reject the report and proceed to make partition or appoint new commissioners as often as necessary to accomplish an partition which will meet the approval of the court.
(RSMo 1939 § 239, A.L. 1955 p. 385 § 224, A.L. 1959 S.B. 141)
Prior revisions: 1929 § 240; 1919 § 239; 1909 § 248
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Related Missouri laws
Distributees to refund, when
RSMo 473.637
Property sold to effect partition, when
RSMo 473.643
Interest on general legacies
RSMo 473.633
Notice of application for partition
RSMo 473.647
Right of retainer
RSMo 473.630
Distributee may credit share against purchase price, when
RSMo 473.650
Legal information, not legal advice. Always confirm with the official source at revisor.mo.gov.