Explain the effect of Miss Patel and Mr White owning as beneficial joint tenants.

• A. They own equal shares with survivorship
• B. Survivorship applies; the survivor automatically owns the whole
• C. They own a tenancy in common with separate shares
• D. Each can dispose their share by Will independently

Answer: (B)

Survivorship in joint tenancy means that when one co-owner dies, the surviving co-owner automatically receives the deceased’s share, so the property passes outside the deceased’s estate and the survivor ends up owning the whole. Miss Patel and Mr White holding as beneficial joint tenants means they each hold an equal share and have this right of survivorship. If one dies, the other becomes the sole owner of the property without that interest passing to the deceased’s executors or heirs. This differs from a tenancy in common, where there is no right of survivorship and a deceased owner’s share passes by Will or intestacy to heirs, possibly in differing shares.