John deeded property to his mother with the stipulation that she could own it for as long as she lived and upon her death property will go to charity. This is an example of:

• A. Life estate.
• B. Fee simple.
• C. Fee simple on condition.
• D. Fee tail.

Answer: (A)

This scenario demonstrates a life estate. The mother may own and use the property for her life, but upon her death the property automatically goes to charity. That means her interest is limited by a measuring life, ending at her death, and a future interest (the charity’s remainder) becomes possessory then. This differs from a fee simple, which would be unlimited in duration, and from a fee simple on condition or a fee tail, which involve different restricted forms of ownership or inheritance that don’t match this setup.