What distinguishes "tenants in common" from joint tenancy?

The distinction between "tenants in common" and joint tenancy primarily lies in how ownership interests are transferred upon the death of one of the owners. In the case of tenants in common, each owner has a separate, distinct share of the property, and when one owner dies, their interest in the property passes on to their heirs according to their will or state inheritance laws. This means that the deceased owner’s share is not automatically transferred to the other co-owners.

In contrast, with joint tenancy, there is a right of survivorship included, meaning that when one joint tenant dies, their share automatically goes to the remaining joint tenants, not to their heirs. This fundamental difference in how property interests are inherited is what sets tenants in common apart from joint tenants, making option B the correct choice.

The other options do not adequately capture the core differences between these two forms of property ownership. For instance, ownership in tenants in common can involve unequal shares (which contradicts the notion of equal ownership), and there is no requirement that owners be family members, as both forms of ownership can involve unrelated parties.