Answers by Jackie McCormick

The order of names on the deed is irrelevant. What matters is how the ownership is structured and whether you and your nephew have equal ownership interests. If he’s on the deed as an owner, you generally can’t sell the property without his agreement and signature. It would be worth speaking with a real estate attorney to review the deed and your options. If he won’t cooperate, a sale can sometimes be forced through a partition action, where the court can order the property to be sold and the proceeds divided between the owners. Another possibility is that your nephew buys out your share so you can take your equity and move on without going through the court process.

It sounds like you were named as an intended beneficiary in a 2016 addendum for certain work or upgrades, and as a third-party beneficiary you might be able to enforce it, but it depends on the exact language, so you’ll need a Pennsylvania real estate or contract attorney to review the addendum and sale documents to see if the obligations are enforceable and what remedies are available.