When a joint tenant dies, that tenant's interest:

In a joint tenancy, each tenant holds an equal share of the property with a right of survivorship. This means that when one joint tenant dies, their interest in the property does not become part of their estate or get passed on according to a will or state inheritance laws. Instead, the deceased tenant's interest is automatically transferred to the surviving joint tenants. This preserves the unity of ownership among the remaining owners and ensures that the property remains under joint tenancy rather than devolving into a different form of ownership, such as a tenancy in common.

This principle of survivorship is a fundamental characteristic of joint tenancy, distinguishing it from other forms of ownership where the deceased owner's share might be passed to heirs or beneficiaries. The seamless transition of ownership to the surviving joint tenants reinforces the collaborative shared ownership model that joint tenancy is meant to represent.