Joint Tenancy Definition In Law In Bexar
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Joint Ownership with Right of Survivorship. If property is jointly owned and the owners have signed a survivorship agreement, the surviving owner will automatically inherit the deceased owner's share. This is commonly done for marital homes.
During the owner's life he or she can designate a co-owner as joint with right of survivorship. This is done by using Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) Form #VTR-122. If that hasn't been done prior to the owner's death, there is a DMV form called Affidavit of Heirship that can be used to transfer the title.
If one owner wants to sell a jointly owned property but the other owner(s) refuse, the party seeking to sell can file a partition action. This legal procedure allows a court to intervene and force the sale of the property, dividing the proceeds among the owners ing to their ownership interests.
Historically, the common law required that in order for a joint tenancy to be created, the co-owners must share the “four unities” of (1) time – the property interest must be acquired by both tenants at the same time; (2) title - both tenants must have the same title to the property in the deed; (3) interest - both ...
Understanding Joint Tenancy in Texas This arrangement uniquely features the right of survivorship, meaning upon the death of one joint tenant, the property automatically transfers to the surviving joint tenant(s) without the need for probate.
Joint tenancy is most common among married couples because it helps property owners avoid probate. Without joint tenancy, a spouse would have to wait for their partner's Last Will to go through a legal review process—which can take months or even years.
Further tenancy in common allows parties to hold unequal shares of property interest. Joint tenancy requires each co-owner to hold equal shares of property. Further, co-owners must transfer the deed at the same time. In this sense, joint tenancy is rigid compared to tenancy in common.
Survivorship Agreements Texas law does not include a presumption of survivorship. In order for survivorship rights to apply to jointly-owned property, the owners must execute a written agreement covering survivorship rights. This must be filed with the county.
