Possession, interest, time and title (PITT) are associated with what type of ownership?

• A. Joint tenancy
• B. Tenancy in common
• C. Tenancy by entirety
• D. Severalty ownership

Answer: (A)

The four unities—possession, interest, time, and title—define a joint tenancy. For co-owners to hold property as a joint tenancy, each must have an undivided right to possess the whole property, an equal share (interest), acquire their interest at the same time, and receive that interest by the same instrument (title). When these unities exist, the owners enjoy a right of survivorship: if one owner dies, their share passes automatically to the surviving owners, not to the deceased’s heirs. This survivorship and the equal, simultaneous creation are what distinguish joint tenancy from other forms of co-ownership. If any unity is missing—such as different shares, different acquisition times, or different titles—the arrangement typically becomes tenancy in common, where there is no survivorship and shares can be unequal. Tenancy by entirety also includes survivorship but applies to married couples and has its own set of rules, while severalty ownership is sole ownership by one person.