2011 North Carolina General Statutes
Chapter 41 Estates.
Article 1 - Survivorship Rights and Future Interests.
41-2. Survivorship in joint tenancy defined; proviso as to partnership; unequal ownership interests.

41‑2. Survivorship in joint tenancy defined; proviso as to partnership; unequal ownership interests.

(a) Except as otherwise provided herein, in all estates, real or personal, held in joint tenancy, the part or share of any tenant dying shall not descend or go to the surviving tenant, but shall descend or be vested in the heirs, executors, or administrators, respectively, of the tenant so dying, in the same manner as estates held by tenancy in common: Provided, that estates held in joint tenancy for the purpose of carrying on and promoting trade and commerce, or any useful work or manufacture, established and pursued with a view of profit to the parties therein concerned, are vested in the surviving partner, in order to enable the surviving partner to settle and adjust the partnership business, or pay off the debts which may have been contracted in pursuit of the joint business; but as soon as the same is effected, the survivor shall account with, and pay, and deliver to the heirs, executors and administrators respectively of such deceased partner all such part, share, and sums of money as the deceased partner may be entitled to by virtue of the original agreement, if any, or according to the deceased partner's share or part in the joint concern, in the same manner as partnership stock is usually settled between joint merchants and the representatives of their deceased partners. Nothing in this section prevents the creation of a joint tenancy with right of survivorship in real or personal property if the instrument creating the joint tenancy expressly provides for a right of survivorship, and no other document shall be necessary to establish said right of survivorship. Upon conveyance to a third party by less than all of three or more joint tenants holding property in joint tenancy with right of survivorship, a tenancy in common is created among the third party and the remaining joint tenants, who remain joint tenants with right of survivorship as between themselves. Upon conveyance to a third party by one of two joint tenants holding property in joint tenancy with right of survivorship, a tenancy in common is created between the third party and the remaining joint tenant. A conveyance of any interest in real property by a party to one or more other parties, whether or not jointly with the grantor‑party, as joint tenants with right of survivorship, creates in the parties that interest, if the instrument of conveyance expressly provides for a joint tenancy with right of survivorship.

(b) The interests of the grantees holding property in joint tenancy with right of survivorship shall be deemed to be equal unless otherwise specified in the conveyance. Any joint tenancy interest held by a husband and wife, unless otherwise specified, shall be deemed to be held as a single tenancy by the entirety, which shall be treated as a single party when determining interests in the joint tenancy with right of survivorship. Joint tenancy interests among two or more joint tenants holding property in joint tenancy with right of survivorship are subject to the provisions of G.S. 28A‑24‑3 upon the death of one or more of the joint tenants.

This subsection shall apply to any conveyance of an interest in property created at any time that explicitly sought to create unequal ownership interests in a joint tenancy with right of survivorship. Distributions made prior to the enactment of this subsection that were made in equal amounts from a joint tenancy with the right of survivorship that sought to create unequal ownership shares shall remain valid and shall not be subject to modification on the basis of this subsection. (1784, c. 204, s. 6; R.C., c. 43, s. 2; Code, s. 1326; Rev., s. 1579; C.S., s. 1735; 1945, c. 635; 1989 (Reg. Sess., 1990), c. 891, s. 1; 1991, c. 606, s. 1; 2009‑268, s. 1; 2010‑96, s. 9; 2012‑69, s. 2.)