Article 262-2Acquisition of Ownership Share of Co-owner Whose Whereabouts Are Unknown
第二百六十二条の二(所在等不明共有者の持分の取得)
When immovables belong to several co-owners, if a co-owner is unable to ascertain the identity of another co-owner or to ascertain their whereabouts, the court may, at the request of a co-owner, render a judicial decision to allow the co-owner to acquire the ownership share of the co-owner in question (referred to as "co-owner whose whereabouts are unknown" in this Article below). In this case, if there are two or more co-owners who have made the request, they may acquire the ownership share of the co-owner whose whereabouts are unknown in proportion to the ownership shares of property in co-ownership held by each of the co-owners who made the request.
不動産が数人の共有に属する場合において、共有者が他の共有者を知ることができず、又はその所在を知ることができないときは、裁判所は、共有者の請求により、その共有者に、当該他の共有者(以下この条において「所在等不明共有者」という。)の持分を取得させる旨の裁判をすることができる。この場合において、請求をした共有者が二人以上あるときは、請求をした各共有者に、所在等不明共有者の持分を、請求をした各共有者の持分の割合で按分してそれぞれ取得させる。
If a request under the provisions of Article 258, paragraph (1) or a request for division of inherited property has been made with regard to immovables related to the ownership share for which a request was filed under the preceding paragraph, and if any co-owner other than the co-owner whose whereabouts are unknown has notified the court which received the request filed under the preceding paragraph to the effect that the co-owner has an objection to the court's rendering a judicial decision under the same paragraph, the court may not render the judicial decision stated in the same paragraph.
If the ownership share of a co-owner whose whereabouts are unknown belongs to inherited property (limited to cases where the inheritance should be divided among coheirs), the court may not render the judicial decision referred to in paragraph (1) if ten years have not yet passed from the time of commencement of the inheritance.
If a co-owner has acquired the ownership share of a co-owner whose whereabouts are unknown pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (1), the co-owner whose whereabouts are unknown is entitled to demand payment of the amount equivalent to the market value of the ownership share acquired from the relevant co-owner.
The provisions of the preceding paragraphs apply mutatis mutandis to cases where a right to use or earn profits from immovables (excluding the right of ownership) belongs to several co-owners.
前各項の規定は、不動産の使用又は収益をする権利(所有権を除く。)が数人の共有に属する場合について準用する。