Johnson, pp. 132-133: Practice Problems

 

1.     Omar grants Agatha a life estate and Bill gets a vested remainder in fee simple absolute.

2.     Omar grants Agatha a life estate and Bill gets a vested remainder in fee simple absolute just like above.  After Bill croaks, Agatha still has the life estate and Carrie gets the vested remainder in fee simple absolute.

3.     Omar grants Alice a life estate.  Beatrice gets a contingent remainder in fee simple absolute.  Omar retains a reversion in fee simple absolute.

4.     Omar grants Andrew a life estate and retains a reversion in fee simple absolute.

5.     Same as above, but the reversion in fee simple absolute goes to Blake upon Omar’s death.

6.     Omar grants Andre a life estate.  Then it depends on whether Andre actually has children now.  If Andre doesn’t have any children yet, a contingent remainder in fee simple absolute is granted to Andre’s (theoretical) children and a reversion is retained by Omar.  If Andre does have children, then they are granted a vested remainder subject to open in fee simple absolute and Omar gets nothing.  If Andre has children later, the contingent remainder transforms into a vested remainder subject to open in fee simple absolute and Omar gets nothing.

7.      

a.      If Belinda is still in college, then Alex gets a life estate, Belinda gets a contingent remainder in fee simple absolute, and Omar gets a reversion in fee simple absolute.

b.     Alex gets a life estate, Belinda gets a vested remainder in fee simple absolute, and Omar gets nothing.

8.     Omar grants Alex a life estate.

a.      In the first case, Belinda gets a vested remainder subject to divestment in fee simple absolute, while Omar retains a possibility of reverter (or maybe right of entry) [according to Braunstein] in fee simple absolute.

b.     Here, Belinda’s future interest matures into a vested remainder in fee simple absolute, and Omar has no future interest.

9.     Omar grants Annabelle a life estate.  Byron gets a contingent remainder in fee simple absolute.  Casanova also gets a contingent remainder in fee simple absolute.  Omar is still left with a reversion in fee simple absolute because whenever a grantor conveys a vested estate of a lesser quantum than that which he had, the grantor retains a reversion.  If Annabelle is convicted a treason or uses the property to sell drugs or forfeits the estate, it doesn’t go to either Byron or Casanova.  It goes to Omar.

 

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