Legal TermsHomebuying Glossary
Right of Survivorship
A feature of some co-ownership types where a deceased owner's share passes automatically to co-owners.
In plain English
Right of survivorship means that when one co-owner dies, their ownership share transfers automatically and immediately to the surviving co-owner(s), without going through probate court.
Why it matters
This is a key difference between joint tenancy (which includes it) and tenancy in common (which doesn't) — worth discussing explicitly when deciding how to title a co-owned property.
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