Which statement is true about tenancy in common?

Which statement is true about tenancy in common?

• A. Must have identical shares
• B. Each co-tenant's title is separate
• C. Each co-tenant has a right to possess the whole
• D. There's a right of survivorship

Answer: (C)

Tenancy in common means multiple owners share the property with undivided possession of the whole, but each owns a separate, transferable interest that can be equal or unequal. The key point is that each co-tenant has a right to possess the entire property, no matter how large or small their share. There is no right of survivorship—when a co-tenant dies, their interest passes to their heirs or estate, not to the surviving co-tenants. So the true statement highlights that right to possess the whole, despite fractional ownership. The other ideas don’t fit: shares don’t have to be identical, and survivorship does not apply in tenancy in common. The detail about separate titles can be true in practice but isn’t the defining feature of TIC.

Tenancy in common means multiple owners share the property with undivided possession of the whole, but each owns a separate, transferable interest that can be equal or unequal. The key point is that each co-tenant has a right to possess the entire property, no matter how large or small their share. There is no right of survivorship—when a co-tenant dies, their interest passes to their heirs or estate, not to the surviving co-tenants. So the true statement highlights that right to possess the whole, despite fractional ownership. The other ideas don’t fit: shares don’t have to be identical, and survivorship does not apply in tenancy in common. The detail about separate titles can be true in practice but isn’t the defining feature of TIC.