Joint Tenancy is a type of ownership of real estate by two or more
When a joint tenant dies, the interest in the property is then vested into the interest of the surviving joint tenant or joint tenants. Simply put, if one of two joint tenants passes away, the second party of the joint tenancy gains all the percentage of interest of the party who passed away and has one hundred percent of the property.
In order for the property to pass the surviving joint tenant, the surviving joint tenant would be required to record an Affidavit of Death of Joint Tenant with a copy of the deceased joint tenant’s death certificate. It avoids probate and trust administration, and is a relatively short and easy process to acquire property after a death.
A joint tenant cannot pass on the property through a will or revocable living trust, so there are no other options as to who will receive the property except to the surviving joint tenants.
One of the main drawbacks in owning a property in joint tenancy is that any joint tenant can file a partition action to force the sale of the property. Further, if a joint tenant has a judgment against him or her, that judgment can attach to the property.
I generally do not recommend using joint tenancy as an estate planning tool but to draft a will and revocable living trust because ultimately it gives you control during your lifetime without relinquishing that control to another. Further, if there is a dispute between you and your joint tenants, any joint tenant can file a partition lawsuit and require that the property be sold, even if you live on the property.
Please contact Attorney Anthony Marinaccio at 818-839-5220 for more information regarding joint tenancy properties.
