In New York, there are three ways to hold property with a co-owner: tenancy by the entirety, joint tenancy, and tenants in common.
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.
A joint account customarily goes to the survivor of the two people that are named with the joint account, the right of survivorship. When jointly owned property includes a right of survivorship, the surviving owner automatically absorbs the dying owner's share of the property.
This means that all co-owners have the same percentage of ownership. For example, in a joint tenancy with two individuals, each joint tenant would have a 50% interest. In a joint tenancy with three individuals, each joint tenant would have a 33.33% interest, and so on.
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.
Joint tenants – each owner owns an undivided interest in the whole property, but if the interest is sold, the joint tenancy ends and the owners become tenants in common. If one of the joint tenants dies, the deceased person's interest automatically goes to the other joint tenant.
You can find out what type of joint ownership you have by checking documents such as a: property transfer. property lease. trust deed, also known as a 'declaration of trust' (a document stating an owner's share in a jointly owned property)
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.