Tenants In Common Vs Joint Tenancy For Married Couples In Virginia

State:
Multi-State
Control #:
US-00414BG
Format:
Word; 
Rich Text
Instant download

Description

Co ownership of real property can be in the following forms:



" Tenancy in common, in which the interest of each owner may be transferred or inherited;


" Joint tenancy, in which the tenants each have a right of survivorship;


" Tenants by the entirety, in which a husband and wife own property and have a right of survivorship; or


" Community property, which applies in some States to property acquired during the period of a marriage.


The phrase joint tenancy refers to a method of ownership by which one person mutually holds legal title to property with other persons in such a way that when one of the joint owners dies his share automatically passes to the surviving joint owners by operation of law.


Traditionally, when two or more people own real property together, they hold it as tenants in common. Owning real property as joint tenants with full rights of survivorship has, in the past, been usually been limited to married couples or other close kinship. However, there is no reason that single unmarried people cannot own property in a joint tenancy arrangement.

Free preview
  • Preview Agreement by Unmarried Individuals to Purchase and Hold Residence as Joint Tenants
  • Preview Agreement by Unmarried Individuals to Purchase and Hold Residence as Joint Tenants
  • Preview Agreement by Unmarried Individuals to Purchase and Hold Residence as Joint Tenants

Form popularity

FAQ

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.

For instance, if you're married, the most common way to title your home is Tenancy by the Entirety (TBE).

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.

In Joint Tenancy in Virginia, all owners must control equal shares of the property. This is as opposed to Tenants in Common, where two people may own 50% each, or four people own 25% each, or some other portion of the whole. In Tenancy by the Entirety, each married spouse owns 100% of the property.

Joint tenancy with right of survivorship (JTWROS) This is often a common vesting for married couples, but it also applies to family members planning to own a property together.

If you and another individual, perhaps a spouse, owned a property as joint tenants, the right of survivorship would kick in upon the death of one owner. The property's share would be seamlessly transferred to the surviving owner, ensuring continuity. Joint tenancy is especially prevalent among married couples.

Utilizing a revocable trust is the best way for a married couple to take title. Titling property in your trust avoids probate upon the death of both the initial and surviving spouses and preserves the capital gains step up for the entire property on the first death.

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!

Trusted and secure by over 3 million people of the world’s leading companies

Tenants In Common Vs Joint Tenancy For Married Couples In Virginia