In a joint tenancy, what happens upon a co-owner's death?

• A. The deceased's interest automatically passes to the surviving co-owners
• B. The deceased's heirs receive the interest
• C. The deceased's interest is dissolved back to the state
• D. The interest becomes a tenancy in common automatically

Answer: (A)

In a joint tenancy, the key feature is the right of survivorship. All owners hold equal shares and possess the whole property together. When one co-owner dies, their interest doesn’t go to the deceased’s heirs or estate. Instead, it automatically transfers to the surviving co-owners, who then own the entire property together without that deceased share. This is why the remaining co-owners obtain full ownership right away, and why heirs don’t inherit the deceased’s portion. The property doesn’t revert to the state, nor does it automatically become a tenancy in common.