Tenancy In Common

For example, joint tenants must all take title simultaneously from the same deed while tenants in common can come into ownership at different times. Another difference is that joint tenants all own equal shares of the property, proportionate to the number of joint tenants involved.

In tenancy in common, when one owner dies, the other owner does not take the property; rather, the deceased owner's heirs inherit the deceased owner's share.

If one person passes away, the home will automatically continue to be owned by the surviving partner, even if there is no will. This is known as the survivorship rule. However, many couples choose to hold their homes as tenants in common.

Rights And Responsibilities All tenants in common have an equal right of access to the property, regardless of their ownership amount. If the property produces an income, co-owners are entitled to a percentage of that income equal to their ownership shares.

Although tenants in common can make a written agreement specifying their rights and responsibilities in the property, they are not legally required to do so. State law specifies the legal principles that apply to tenants in common when there is no written agreement.

If you hold your property as tenants in common and wish to sell the property following the death of your partner, as the property's legal owner, you have the right to do this. You can appoint an additional trustee in place of the deceased owner to give good receipt for purchase monies and enable the sale to proceed.

For those who are purchasing a property with someone who is not related to them, or for investment purposes, titling as tenants in common is a good choice. When buying a dwelling with your spouse as a primary residence, joint tenancy usually makes more sense.

With joint tenants, the death of one owner means that owner's share automatically goes to the other owners. When a tenant in common dies, their share is passed to their legal heirs.

This is called the right of survivorship. But tenants in common have no rights of survivorship. Unless the deceased individual's will specifies that his or her interest in the property is to be divided among the surviving owners, a deceased tenant in common's interest belongs to his or her estate.