Life Estate - Duration of A Life Estate

Duration of A Life Estate

Life estates are measured either by the life of the property recipient, or by the life of some other person; these latter are called life estates pur autre vie (Law French, "for the life of another"). A life estate pur autre vie is most commonly created in one of two circumstances.

  • First, when the owner of property conveys his interest in that property to another person, for the life of a third person. For example if A conveys land to B during the life of C, then B owns the land for as long as C lives; if B dies before C, B's heirs will inherit the land, and will continue to own it for as long as C lives.
  • Second, if A conveys land to C for life, C can then sell the life estate to B. Again, B and B's heirs will own the land for as long as C lives.
  • In either scenario, once C dies, the ownership of the land will revert to A. If A has died, ownership will revert to A's heirs. The right to succeed to ownership of the property upon the expiration of the life estate is called a remainder.

Read more about this topic:  Life Estate

Famous quotes containing the words duration of, duration, life and/or estate:

    What matters it that man should have a little more knowledge of the universe? If he has it, he gets little higher. Is he not always infinitely removed from the end, and is not the duration of our life equally removed from eternity, even if it lasts ten years longer?
    Blaise Pascal (1623–1662)

    This pond never breaks up so soon as the others in this neighborhood, on account both of its greater depth and its having no stream passing through it to melt or wear away the ice.... It indicates better than any water hereabouts the absolute progress of the season, being least affected by transient changes of temperature. A severe cold of a few days’ duration in March may very much retard the opening of the former ponds, while the temperature of Walden increases almost uninterruptedly.
    Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)

    But every insight from this realm of thought is felt as initial, and promises a sequel. I do not make it; I arrive there, and behold what was there already. I make! O no! I clap my hands in infantine joy and amazement, before the first opening to me of this august magnificence, old with the love and homage of innumerable ages, young with the life of life, the sunbright Mecca of the desert.
    Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)

    Wilt thou have this Woman to thy wedded wife, to live together after God’s ordinance in the holy estate of Matrimony? Wilt thou love her, comfort her, honour, and keep her in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all other, keep thee only unto her, so long as ye both shall live?
    Book Of Common Prayer, The. Solemnization of Matrimony, “Betrothal,” (1662)