What rights does a joint owner have?
Each joint owner has the right to occupy and use the jointly owned property, each and every part of it, but may not exclude the other owner or owners. An owner who makes a profit on the property must account to the other joint owners for their shares. For example, one owner of a tract of land has the right to explore for, drill and produce oil and gas regardless of whether any or all other joint owners participate or consent. If one of the owners drills a successful well, though, he must pay all other owners their shares of oil and gas operating revenues after recovering his costs. By the same token, one joint owner may lease his or her interest in a tract for oil and gas exploration and production to a different lessee, and under entirely different items, from another joint owner.
