What is the most likely evidence of ownership in a cooperative?

In a cooperative, ownership is typically represented by shares of stock rather than by a deed to a specific unit like in traditional real estate ownership. When someone purchases a unit in a cooperative, they are actually buying shares in the corporation that owns the entire property. This is because a cooperative is organized as a corporation, and individuals own stock that gives them the rights to occupy a specific unit, along with certain voting rights in the cooperative's governance.

Shareholders in a cooperative do not own real estate outright; instead, they hold a proprietary lease for their unit. Therefore, the most significant piece of evidence proving ownership in a cooperative is indeed the shareholder's stock, as it symbolizes not only ownership interest but also the right to occupy the unit associated with that stock. This stock represents both an investment in the cooperative and a legal claim to the associated rights and privileges within that cooperative community.