In real estate law, severalty refers to an estate or ownership interest in property held by one person alone. It denotes sole ownership, without any co owners or shared interests. Remember that it is misleading that severalty has the word “several” in it, since it references ownership by one party, not by several parties. It’s more helpful to think of this as ownership that is “severed” from all others.
Ownership in severalty gives the individual full control over the property, subject only to applicable laws or encumbrances. This form of ownership is distinct from joint tenancy, tenancy in common, or other shared ownership arrangements.
