Chapter 4: Forms of Ownership Flashcards
What is an Estate in Severalty (Tenancy in Severalty)
When an estate is held by one person or a single legal entity. This is sole ownership.
Co-owership (Concurrent ownership)
Ownership involving 2 or more owners
What are the 3 forms of Co-ownership)
- Tenancy in Common
- Joint Tenancy
- Tenancy by the Entirety
Tenancy in Common
- Can have equal or unequal interest
- Automatically occurs if not stated in deed
- Each owner owns all of it
- Each owner has an undivided interest in all of property
- Can dispose of interest at any time
- May file a partition suit
- May devise one’s interest (it’s inheritable)
- Two or more parties
- No right of survivorship
- Unity of possession (Ex: Can’t tell which 1/3 or 1/2 is owned by each owner)
- If not specifically stated, fractions are dispensed equally amongst owners.
- Upon death, an owner’s fractional interest can be passed to heirs
- Each owner has his own undivided interest in severalty.
- Each owner can do what they want with their interest w/o permission from the other owners
Joint Tenancy
- Two or more parties
- Corporations are prohibited from being joint tenants
- Has right of survivorship
- Has partition suit available
Right of Survivorship
When 1 of the owners in joint tenancy dies, the surviving owners receive that owner’s fractional interest
- Also called a “Poor Man’s Will”
- Overrides a will
- Probate or surrogate court aren’t needed
What are the 3 ways a joint tenancy or tenancy by the entirety can be created?
- Granting through a deed of conveyance
- Purchasing through a deed of conveyance
- By devise (giving the property by will)
It can’t be created by operation of law
What does devise mean?
To give a property to someone by will
What are the 4 unities required to create a joint tenancy?
- Unity of time: All JT acquire interest at the same time
- Unity of title: All JT acquire interest thru same instrument of conveyance
- Unity of interest: All JT hold equal ownership interests
- Unity of possession: All JT hold an undivided right to possess
Partition suit
A suit that is filed in court to terminate one’s co-ownership. They file suit to partition the land.
Tenancy by Entirety
- Married couple
- Adds a 5th unity (Unity of Person)
- Right of survivorship
- Exempt from claims of creditors unless both husband and wife are named on the debt
- Both spouses own the entire estate
- Both spouses have an equal and undivided interest
- Title can only be conveyed by deed signed by both parties
- Normally no right to partition
- Upon divorce JT becomes Tenancy in Common
- Can only be created by grant, purchase, or devise. It can’t be created by operation of law.
Trust
Any agreement where one party holds property for another party’s benefit (could be a person or legal entity)
Who is a trustor?
The person who gives the trustee the responsibility of managing the property for the benefit of the beneficiaries
Who is a trustee?
The person who holds/manages the property on behalf of the trustor. Trustor never gives up ownership, but trustor is legal owner.
What is a fiduciary?
a person, organization, or corporation that acts on behalf of another person or persons, putting their clients’ interest ahead of their own, with a duty to preserve good faith and trust.