Legal Definitions - common tenancy

Common tenancy refers to a type of ownership where two or more people own a property together. Each owner has an equal share of the property and the right to use the entire property. If one owner dies, their share of the property goes to their heirs or beneficiaries. This is also known as tenancy in common.

Example: John and Jane own a house together as common tenants. They each have a 50% share of the property and can use the entire house. If John dies, his 50% share goes to his children.

Commonwealth can refer to different things depending on the context:

1. A nation, state, or political unit.
2. A political unit that has local autonomy but is voluntarily united with the United States.
3. A loose association of countries that recognize one sovereign.
4. The central (federal) power in Australia.

Example: The Commonwealth of Virginia is a state in the United States. Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands are commonwealths that have local autonomy but are part of the United States. The British Commonwealth is a loose association of countries that recognize the British monarch as their head of state.

These examples illustrate how commonwealth can refer to different types of political units with varying degrees of autonomy and association with other countries or powers.