Book III: Different ways of acquiring property

If an agricultural holding constituting an economic unit and not run as a company is not maintained in undivided ownership and has not been the subject of a preferential allotment under the conditions provided for in articles 831, 832 or 832-1, the surviving spouse or any co-owner heir who wishes to continue the farm in which he is or has been effectively involved may demand, notwithstanding any application for an…

Preferential allotment may be applied for jointly by several successors in order to keep the undivided property together. Failing amicable agreement, the application for preferential allotment is brought before the court, which decides on the basis of the interests involved. In the event of competing applications, the court takes into account the ability of the various applicants to manage the property in question and to remain in it. For the…

The property subject to the allocation is estimated at its value on the date set in accordance with Article 829. Unless there is an amicable agreement between the co-partitioners, any balance due is payable in cash. However, in the cases provided for in articles 831-3 and 832, the assignee may require his co-sharers to pay a fraction of the balance, equal to no more than half, within a period not…

The provisions of articles 831 to 832-4 benefit the spouse or any heir called to succeed by virtue of the law, whether he is a full or bare owner. These provisions, with the exception of those of article 832, also benefit an heir with a universal or universal title to the succession by virtue of a will or contractual institution.

The beneficiary of the preferential allotment does not become the sole owner of the property allotted until the day of the final partition. Until that date, he may renounce the allotment only where the value of the property, as determined on the day of that allotment, has increased by more than a quarter on the day of the partition independently of his personal act.