Tenancy in common is the default form of concurrent estate, in which each owner, referred to as a
tenant in common, is regarded by the law as each owning separate and distinct shares which may differ in size. This form of ownership is common where the co-owners are not married or have contributed different amounts to the acquisition of the property. Also, if joint owners had attempted to use another form of joint ownership such as a
joint tenancy with right of survivorship or a
tenancy by the entirety, and the effort was for some reason invalid, the joint owners would then be tenants in common. If conclusive evidence is not available of the desire to create a tenancy with rights of survivorship or a tenancy by the entirety,
courts will determine that a tenancy in common has in fact been created.
Tenants in common have no
right of survivorship, meaning that if one owner dies, that owner's interest in the property will pass by
inheritance to that owner's devisees or heirs, either by
will, or by
intestate succession.
Tenancy in common is the default form of concurrent estate, in which each owner, referred to as a
tenant in common, is regarded by the law as each owning separate and distinct shares which may differ in size. This form of ownership is common where the co-owners are not married or have contributed different amounts to the acquisition of the property. Also, if joint owners had attempted to use another form of joint ownership such as a
joint tenancy with right of survivorship or a
tenancy by the entirety, and the effort was for some reason invalid, the joint owners would then be tenants in common. If conclusive evidence is not available of the desire to create a tenancy with rights of survivorship or a tenancy by the entirety,
courts will determine that a tenancy in common has in fact been created.
Tenants in common have no
right of survivorship, meaning that if one owner dies, that owner's interest in the property will pass by
inheritance to that owner's devisees or heirs, either by
will, or by
intestate succession.
joint tenancy with right of survivorship or
JTWROS is a type of concurrent estate in which the joint owners have a
right of survivorship, meaning that if one owner dies, that owner's interest in the property will automatically pass to the remaining owner or owners. On the death of one of the tenants, the whole of the property passes to remaining tenant(s); this is the "right of survivorship." The deceased tenant's property interest simply evaporates
by operation of law, and cannot be inherited by his heirs (which means it avoids going through
probate). Under this type of ownership, the last owner living takes all.