Definition of "Joint tenancy"

A type of property coownership of two or more individuals to whom real property is deeded and who together have an undivided interest in it as a whole. There is only one title to the whole property. Upon the death of a joint tenant, that person's interest does not descend to his or her heirs or pass by will. Rather, the entire ownership remains in the surviving joint tenant(s). In other word, there is simply one less owner. A joint tenant can be in exclusive possession of the property or he or she can lease his or her interest to a third party without affecting the nature of the joint tenancy. Such lease will terminate upon the death of the lessor joint tenant, with the surviving joint tenants taking the interest thereon. generally, if a joint tenant dies, the survivors(s) obtain the property, also called joint tenancy with right of survivorship. For example, John and Victor are the joint tenants of a building. Each own one half of the whole building. Upon John's death, Victor will own the whole property, and vice versa.

image of a real estate dictionary page

Have a question or comment?

We're here to help.

*** Your email address will remain confidential.
 

 

Popular Real Estate Terms

Requires collateral to secure the debt. An example of collateral might be one's home. ...

The accelerated depreciation definition is a type of depreciation that makes it possible for a homeowner or real estate investor to depreciate their property faster than the straight-line ...

Protection over and above that of an insurance policy or warranty. ...

Recognizes profit on a long-term construction contract as it is earned gradually during the construction period. This approach is preferred over the completed contract method because it ...

Vendee refers to a person to whom something is sold. The meaning of vendee is a buyer of goods and services. A more common term for vendee is a purchaser. While a vendor is a seller, the ...

If you’re a renter and you own a pet, you might be familiar with the term pet rent. There has been a lot of discussion about the meaning of pet rent and controversy as it isn’t ...

Person's title to real estate giving him exclusive power and rights owner it. ...

(1) Craft of one who fabricates fine cabinets, furniture, or woodwork. (2) General term describing interior wood finish work performed by cabinetmakers instead of carpenters. (3) Built-in ...

A landowner may not divert or redirect a natural occurring waterway from his or her property causing damages to another property. Waterway is normally construed to mean streams and rivers ...

Popular Real Estate Questions