Legal Question in Real Estate Law in Hawaii

You and your co-tenants or joint-tenants have equal rights to the "legal" improvements on the lot. However, if you are living in a structure that is not permitted as a dwelling unit, your co-tenants have the right to discontinue that situation as it exposes them to liability. From what you describe, no owners have any right to live in an unpermitted structure on the property. Even if you obtain a retro-active permit for the structure all owners have equal right to reside on the property. Whoever lives on the property owes the other tenants rent for the use of the property individually. The amounts you owe the other owners in rent for use of the property alone may be set off by your payment for any "legal" improvements. This situation may be destined for a partition action which forces separation and sale of the property. You cannot be removed from the property if you are on title without a judgment from a court of law, but you don't have the right to live in an illegal dwelling.