On the death of a co-owner in a joint tenancy, who receives the interest?

• A. Heirs via will
• B. Surviving co-owners
• C. The land reverts to the state
• D. The interest is split among all co-owners equally

Answer: (B)

In a joint tenancy, there is a right of survivorship: when one co-owner dies, that person’s interest does not go to their heirs or estate. Instead, the deceased’s share automatically transfers to the remaining joint tenants who continue owning the property together. The surviving co-owners’ interests each increase accordingly, and the title remains with the surviving owners.

Why the other possibilities don’t fit: if the deceased’s interest went to heirs via a will, that would be a characteristic of tenancy in common, not joint tenancy. Escheat to the state only happens if there are no heirs at all and no valid claim to the property, which is not the typical outcome in a joint tenancy. Finally, the interest isn’t split among all co-owners including the deceased; the deceased’s share goes to the survivors, not to all co-owners anew.