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.
The four unities are: time, title, interest and possession.
The answer to the question is D. Unity of action, as it is not a required unity in joint tenancy. The four required unities are unity of time, title, interest, and possession. No need for co-owners to act together distinguishes joint tenancy from other forms of property ownership.
In the context of joint tenancy, typically four unities are required for its valid creation: Unity of Possession, Unity of Interest, Unity of Time, and Unity of Title, collectively referred to as the 'four unities' in property law. However, one example of a 'unity' that is not required is the Unity of Marriage.
The legal concept incompatible with a joint tenancy is Escheat. Joint tenancy ensures that upon the death of one owner, their share automatically transfers to the surviving co-owner(s), which conflicts with the escheatment process that transfers property to the state.
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 ...
Tenancy by the Entirety Each spouse owns an undivided interest in the real property, and there is a right of survivorship. Maryland has a presumption that property held by a married couple is held as tenants by the entireties. The presumption applies to property acquired by the married couple.
Tenants in common gives you more protections and you can specify in a deed of trust what you would want to happen in the event of relationship breakdown (eg if one of you has first dibs to buy the other out, or a time limit on doing so etc) which is definitely better to decide now whilst you still like each other!
Joint tenants have equal property ownership, share profits and liabilities, and often have a right of survivorship. Tenants in common can have unequal shares, lack a right of survivorship, and can pass their share to chosen beneficiaries.
Joint tenants also own an undivided interest in property. The main difference between joint tenants and tenants-in-common is that, upon the death of a joint tenant, that co-owner's interests are extinguished and the surviving co-owner(s) receive the property.