A form of property ownership where multiple people hold separate, distinct shares in the same property without rights of survivorship. Each owner can sell, transfer, or will their share independently.
From Old French 'tenir' (to hold) and 'commun' (shared, common). This ownership form developed in medieval English law as an alternative to joint tenancy, allowing more flexibility in property transfers and inheritance.
Tenancy in common is like owning slices of the same pizza - everyone owns a piece (which might be different sizes), but when someone dies, their slice goes to their heirs, not to the other pizza owners! Unlike joint tenancy, there's no automatic inheritance between co-owners.
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