If three people hold property as joint tenants and one sells his interest to a fourth party, the fourth party becomes what type of co-ownership?

• A. Tenant in common
• B. Joint tenant
• C. Sole owner
• D. Trustee

Answer: (A)

The key idea is how joint tenancy works and what happens when one co-owner sells. A joint tenancy carries the right of survivorship, so all owners hold one undivided unit and their shares are linked. If one joint tenant sells his interest, that sale breaks the unity for his share. The buyer doesn’t become a joint tenant with the remaining owners; instead, the buyer takes that interest as a tenancy in common. In a tenancy in common, each owner has a distinct, undivided share and there is no right of survivorship.

So when three people hold property as joint tenants and one sells to a fourth, the fourth acquires a one-quarter interest as a tenant in common with the other owners. The seller’s former joint tenancy interest is severed, and the buyer’s ownership is separate from the others.