(a) (1) If under § 14-708 of this subtitle all the interests of all cotenants that requested partition by sale are not purchased by other cotenants, or if after the conclusion of the buyout a cotenant remains that has requested partition in kind, the court shall order partition in kind unless the court, after consideration of the factors listed in § 14-710 of this subtitle, finds that partition in kind will result in great prejudice to the cotenants as a group.

(2) In considering whether to order partition in kind, the court shall approve a request by two or more parties to have their individual interests aggregated.

(b) If the court does not order partition in kind under subsection (a) of this section, the court shall order partition by sale under § 14-711 of this subtitle or, if no cotenant requested partition by sale, the court shall dismiss the action.

(c) If the court orders partition in kind in accordance with subsection (a) of this section, the court may require that one or more cotenants pay one or more other cotenants amounts so that the payments, taken together with the value of the in-kind distributions to the cotenants, will make the partition in kind just and proportionate in value to the fractional interests held.

(d) If the court orders partition in kind, the court shall allocate to the cotenants that are unknown, unlocatable, or the subject of a default judgment, if their interests were not bought out under § 14-708 of this subtitle, a part of the property representing the combined interests of these cotenants as determined by the court and this part of the property shall remain undivided.