What happens when a joint tenant sells their property?

When a joint tenant sells their share of the property, the buyer becomes a tenant in common. This shift occurs because the nature of joint tenancy is unique and includes the right of survivorship, where upon the death of a joint tenant, their share automatically passes to the surviving joint tenants.

When one joint tenant sells their interest, the new owner does not acquire the right of survivorship. Instead, they become a tenant in common with the remaining joint tenants. This means the new buyer has a proportionate interest in the property but does not share in the right of survivorship that characterizes joint tenancy. The other joint tenants retain their interests in the property, and the sale effectively transforms the original joint tenancy into a tenancy in common with at least one tenant in common who is a new, separate buyer.

This reflects the principles of property ownership where the nature of tenancy can change based on the actions of the owners involved. The remaining joint tenants continue to hold their interests, but now they share the property with a new party who has different rights.