jointpossessor

Joint possessor is a term used in property and civil law to describe a person who shares possession of a property or an object with one or more other people. Possession in this sense means the right to exercise control, use, or occupy the item, and is not necessarily tied to formal ownership. A joint possessor may hold equal or varying interests in the underlying property, but retains the right to use the property alongside the others.

Joint possession commonly arises through co-ownership arrangements such as joint tenancy or tenancy in common. In a joint tenancy, each possessor has an equal, undivided right to possess the whole property, with the right of survivorship. In tenancy in common, possessors hold defined shares but also have the right to possess the entire property, subject to those shares. Co-occupants without a formal ownership structure may also be described as joint possessors, particularly in rental, lease, or shared-use contexts.

Duties and disputes: Joint possessors owe each other duties of fair use and accounting for incomes or profits derived from the property, and must refrain from excluding others from possession or causing waste. When disagreements arise, remedies include partition or sale, injunctions, or disputes resolved through negotiation or court action. Severance of joint possession can occur by agreement, transfer, or change in ownership form, potentially converting a joint tenancy into tenancy in common.

See also: joint ownership, co-tenancy, co-occupant.