A. When any joint tenant dies, before or after the vesting of the estate, whether the estate is real or personal, or whether partition could have been compelled or not, his part shall descend to his heirs, pass by devise, or go to his personal representative, subject to debts or distribution, as if he had been a tenant in common.
B. This section shall not apply to any estate that joint tenants have as fiduciaries or to any real or personal property transferred to persons in their own right when it manifestly appears from the tenor of the instrument transferring such property or memorializing the existence of a chose in action that it was intended the part of the one dying should then belong to the others. This section does not affect the mode of proceeding on any joint judgment or order in favor of or on any contract with two or more one of whom dies.
Code 1919, §§ 5159, 5160; Code 1950, §§ 55-20, 55-21; 1990, c. 831; 1999, c. 196; 2001, c. 718; 2019, c. 712.
Structure Code of Virginia
Title 55.1 - Property and Conveyances
Chapter 1 - Creation and Limitation of Estates
§ 55.1-100. Aliens may acquire, hold, and transmit real estate; when reciprocity required
§ 55.1-101. When deed or will necessary to convey estate; no parol partition or gift valid
§ 55.1-102. When gift of personal property invalid
§ 55.1-103. Suicide or attainder of felony
§ 55.1-104. Estates to lie in grant as well as in livery
§ 55.1-105. Same estates may be created by deed as by will
§ 55.1-107. Default or surrender of tenant for life not to prejudice remainderman
§ 55.1-108. Conveyance of estate or interest in property by grantor to himself and another
§ 55.1-109. Deed valid for grantor's right; operation of warranty
§ 55.1-110. Conveyance, devise, or grant without words of limitation
§ 55.1-111. Fee tail converted into fee simple
§ 55.1-113. Doctrine of worthier title abolished
§ 55.1-114. When contingent remainder not to fail
§ 55.1-115. When remainders not defeated
§ 55.1-116. In what conveyances possession transferred to the use
§ 55.1-118. Deed of release effectual
§ 55.1-119. When person not a party, etc., may take or sue under instrument
§ 55.1-120. Informalities in deeds made by attorneys-in-fact
§ 55.1-121. Time for objections to irregularities in advertising sales made by trustees
§ 55.1-122. Recovery at death of life tenant of taxes paid on life estate
§ 55.1-123. Removal of a cloud on title; nature of plaintiff's title
§ 55.1-124. Uniform Statutory Rule Against Perpetuities
§ 55.1-125. When nonvested property interest or power of appointment created
§ 55.1-127. Exclusions from statutory rule against perpetuities
§ 55.1-128. Prospective application
§ 55.1-129. Uniformity of application and construction
§ 55.1-130. Certain limitations construed
§ 55.1-132. Determination of "lives in being" for purpose of rule against perpetuities
§ 55.1-133. Application of the rule against perpetuities to nondonative transfers
§ 55.1-134. Survivorship between joint tenants abolished
§ 55.1-135. Joint ownership in real and personal property
§ 55.1-136. Tenants by the entirety in real and personal property; certain trusts