To reflect unequal financial contributions, which ownership arrangement is appropriate?

• A. Joint tenants
• B. Tenants in common
• C. Joint and several
• D. Joint and defined

Answer: (B)

When people invest different amounts into a property, the way the title is held determines whether those differences can be reflected in ownership. With a joint tenancy, everyone holds equal shares and there’s a right of survivorship, so contributions don’t affect each person’s stake. That means the property is owned as an undivided whole, split equally regardless of who paid what.

Tenants in common allows each co-owner to hold a defined, separate share. You can set percentages to mirror actual contributions—such as 60% for one person and 40% for another. There’s no right of survivorship, so each owner’s share can be sold, gifted, or inherited independently. This arrangement directly matches unequal financial input.

Joint and several is about liability for debts; it doesn’t establish unequal ownership shares by default and is more about who can be pursued for the loan than how the property is owned.

Joint and defined isn’t a standard ownership form, so it isn’t used in practice.

So, reflecting unequal contributions is best achieved with tenants in common.