A couple buying a new house together in their joint names will automatically hold the legal estate as which?

• A. Joint tenants
• B. Tenants in common
• C. Sole ownership
• D. Trusts

Answer: (A)

The situation tests how multiple people can own property. When two people buy a house together and their names appear on the title, they usually hold it as joint tenants. The key idea is that ownership is of the whole property by both people, not split into separate, individual shares.

Joint tenancy requires four unities: possession, interest, title, and time. This means each person has an equal right to use the entire property, they both share the same ownership deed, they acquired their interest at the same time, and they both own an equal share. A crucial feature is the right of survivorship: if one owner dies, the surviving owner automatically inherits the deceased’s share, outside of any will.

If the couple instead intended to own in unequal or separate shares, they would be tenants in common, where there is no right of survivorship and each person’s share can pass by will or intestacy.