Kern County
Real estate litigation for Kern County property
We do not have an office in Kern County. We handle Kern County property disputes from our Southern California offices, appear in the county's courts, and our founding partner has tried cases here.
Where Kern County property cases are filed
Under Code of Civil Procedure section 392, a case over real property is generally tried in the county where the property sits, wherever the owners live.
Metropolitan Justice Building
1215 Truxtun Avenue, Bakersfield, CA 93301
Unlimited civil complaints, for damages over $35,000 or cases that do not involve money.
Limited civil cases can be heard at other Kern County locations, including Delano, Lamont, Mojave, Ridgecrest and Shafter. Confirm the current location before you file or travel.
Quiet title and adverse possession in Kern County
A quiet title case over property in Bakersfield or elsewhere in the county is filed in Kern County Superior Court, and the judge must hear evidence of your title even if nobody answers. An adverse possession claim needs certified records from the county tax collector showing the taxes were paid.
Some Kern County land carries mineral rights held by someone other than the surface owner, which can cloud a sale. If a mineral right has gone dormant, the owner of the land may bring an action to terminate it under Civil Code section 883.210. The mineral owner can still keep the right by recording a late notice and paying the litigation expenses under section 883.250.
Trust and probate disputes
Probate cases are filed at the Juvenile Justice Center, 2100 College Avenue, Bakersfield, CA 93305.
Where the records are
Kern County Recorder, Hall of Records, at Truxtun and Chester Avenues in downtown Bakersfield. This is where deeds, liens and other recorded documents for Kern County property are kept.
How we work on Kern County cases
We appear remotely where the court allows it, and in person when a hearing or trial requires it.
We conduct trials ourselves. Josué Cristóbal Guerrero has personally tried cases in San Diego, Orange, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside, Kern and Ventura counties.
We usually charge a flat fee for litigation. Most matters cost about $5,000 to get started, and a monthly amount follows based on the size and complexity of the matter. Costs such as expert witnesses and filing fees can be extra. Among the real estate cases we handle, the average lasts about ten months. We cannot promise any result.
What we handle
- Real Estate Litigation
- Quiet Title
- Partition Actions
- Easement Litigation
- Adverse Possession
- Title Fraud
- Non-Disclosures
- Trust Litigation
- Probate Litigation
Sources
Call the firm
Describe the property and the dispute so the firm can assess whether it is a matter it handles.
Call our intake team. If your matter fits, we schedule a free 30-minute consultation with an attorney. Document review starts after you retain us.
Contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship, and please do not send confidential details until we have agreed in writing to represent you.
Our offices
Common questions
What does it take to win adverse possession in California?
Your use of someone else's property must be hostile, open, notorious and continuous for five years, and you must pay all the property taxes on it. Each of those words has a specific legal meaning. Use that began with the true owner's permission generally does not count.
Can I do a quiet title action myself in California, or do I need a lawyer?
You can. Anyone can represent themselves in almost anything. Whether that is wise is a different question: real estate matters are complicated and high in dollar value, and a mistake can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, so we recommend hiring an attorney.
Can my sibling force the sale of the house we inherited in California?
Generally yes. Once title is in your names, any co-owner can go to court and force a sale or a buyout through what California calls partition. Before a court-ordered sale, the owners who did not ask for one usually get a chance to buy out the owner who did.
How much does a real estate lawyer cost in California for a property dispute?
It depends on the case. We usually offer flat fee litigation paid monthly so you can predict the cost. Most of our litigation matters cost about $5,000 to get started, plus the monthly amount and costs such as expert witnesses or filing fees. If you are already facing a trial, arbitration or mediation, the first payment can be higher.