What legal action can owners take if one owner of a property discourages potential buyers?

The correct choice is to file an action for partition against the third owner. When multiple parties own a property together and one party is acting in a way that is detrimental to the sale or the value of that property—such as discouraging potential buyers—those affected owners may seek a partition action. This legal remedy allows co-owners to divide the property or to sell it and distribute the proceeds among the owners.

In a partition action, the court can order the sale of the property and distribute the profits according to each owner's interest. This is particularly relevant when one owner’s actions are actively preventing the property from being marketed effectively, thereby interfering with the rights of the other owners to sell or benefit from their investment.

Negotiating independently with buyers, filing a lawsuit for damages, or selling the property without the third owner's consent do not address the core issue of co-ownership and the shared rights and responsibilities related to the real estate. Those options could lead to further legal complications or disputes among the owners rather than resolving the issues at hand through judicial intervention. Thus, pursuing a partition is the most effective and legally sound approach to address this type of conflict among co-owners in real estate.