Showing posts with label joint tenancy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label joint tenancy. Show all posts

Monday, July 12, 2021

What is a tenancy by the entirety

What is a tenancy by the entirety?

The tenancy by the entirety is a unique estate that may be held only by a married couple or, in New Jersey as of February 19, 2007, civil union partners.  (For simplicity’s sake, we’ll include civil union partners as a married couple in the below discussion.)

 According to our colleague and noted title professional Lawrence Fineberg, Esq. “Its origin is said to be biblical in nature.  At common law, consistent with the biblical statement quoted below, a husband and wife were viewed as a single entity. Although this is no longer the case, some of the incidents of tenancy by the entirety are vestigial remnants of this conception.” (Citations omitted.)

 Unlike other forms of co-tenancy, a tenancy by the entirety may have only two co-tenants, who are married to each other.

 A deed or a testamentary devise to a married couple is presumed to create a tenancy by the entirety, in the absence of contrary wording in the deed or will. So, a deed from a spouse conveying the real estate owned in her name to herself and her spouse, vests title in them as tenants by the entirety.

 What if the couple is not in fact married at the time of the deed? In that situation, they will hold as tenants in common, even if they eventually marry. Likewise, say an engaged couple takes title to a home as tenants in common or as joint tenants, a tenancy by the entirety is not automatically created by their subsequent marriage.  So, if they wish to hold title as tenants by the entirety, a new deed must be created which vests title in them as such.

 But, if the parties are in fact married to each other at the time of the deed, a tenancy by the entirety will be created (in the absence of contrary language), even if their marital status is not recited in the deed.

 In New Jersey, as mentioned above, civil union partners are also presumed to acquire title as tenants by the entirety. However, domestic partners may not do so.

 Where title to realty is held by spouses married to each other as tenants by the entirety, the death of one spouse results in the vesting of the entire interest in the survivor automatically.

 The entry of a judgment of divorce automatically destroys the tenancy by the entirety, so that former spouses hold title as tenants in common.

 A tenancy by the entirety may not be terminated by the unilateral act of either spouse,  If one spouse attempts to convey to a stranger, however, the grantee succeeds to the interest of the grantor-spouse, including that spouse’s right of survivorship. The same result is reached where a judgment creditor or foreclosing mortgagee of only one spouse attempts to enforce its lien against property held by the entirety.

 Portions of the above have been adapted from Fineberg, N.J. Title Practice (NJLTI, 5th Ed. 2021).

 Disclaimer: The information included is designed for informational purposes only. It is not legal, tax, financial or any other sort of advice, nor is it a substitute for such advice. The information may not apply to your specific situation. We have tried to make sure the information is accurate, but it could be outdated or even inaccurate in parts. It is the reader’s responsibility to comply with any applicable local, state, or federal regulations. Vested Land Services LLC and their employees make no warranties about the information nor guarantee of results, and they assume no liability in connection with the information provided.

We are the New Jersey title insurance agent that does it all for you. For your next commercial real estate transaction, house purchase, mortgage refinance, reverse mortgage, or home equity loan, contact us, Vested Land Services LLC. We can help!


For your real estate purchase or mortgage refinance or
if you have questions about what you see here, contact
Stephen M. Flatow, Esq.
Vested Land Services LLC
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Fairfield, NJ 07004
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E-mail sflatow@vested.com
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