Joint ownership

Swiss property law distinguishes co-ownership by ideal shares from ownership in common. In co-ownership, each owner has a fractional share and may generally dispose of that share, while use and management of the thing require coordination and sometimes majority decisions. In ownership in common, the asset belongs to a legal community such as heirs or spouses under a property regime; individuals do not freely dispose of a separate share. The distinction matters for sale, partition, creditors’ rights, management expenses and land register entries.