joint property ownership

I own a piece of property (vacant lot) with my neighbor. On the deed it says
\"et al\". What happens to the ownership of the property if either of us
should die? Does the survivor own the property? Can either of us assign it
to someone else, or \"will\" it to someone else? Pls advise

The deed can be written to operate either way--you need to have that reviewed by a title company or lawyer if it is not clear to you.