"ANSWERS" TO THE FEE TAIL PROBLEMS

“Answers” to Problems in the Book ABOUT THE FEE TAIL

p. 391 (Problems 5 and 6)

South Carolina (and 2 others):

	(a)	Assuming that A never had any issue, the fee reverts to the heirs or devisees of D (5) or passes to B (6).
	(b)	A’s heirs or devisees take a fee simple absolute.
	(c)	C gets a fee simple absolute.
	(d)	C gets a conditional fee, conditioned upon A’s having issue. The estate will revert to D’s heir or devisees (5) or pass to B (6), if A dies without having issue.

Del., Me., Mass., R.I. (for deeds):

	(a)	The land reverts to the heirs or devisees of D (5) or passes to B (6).
	(b)	The issue take a fee tail limited to the heirs of A’s body.
	(c)	and (d) C takes a f.s.a.

Conn., Ohio, R.I. (for wills):

	(a)	The land reverts to the heirs or devisees of D.
	(b)	The issue take a f.s.a.
	(c)	and (d) C takes a fee tail limited to the heirs of A’s body (in effect, but not in form, an estate pur autre vie). (Conn. and Ohio have cases so holding; R.I. allows C to take a fee simple.)

Six States:

	(a)	The land reverts to the heirs or devisees of D (5) or passes to B (6).
	(b)	A’s issue take a f.s.a.
	(c) and (d)	C has an estate pur autre vie; A’s issue a contingent remainder in fee. (Contingent on there being issue (d) and on their surviving A (c and d).)

Twenty-five states (f.s.a. half):

(a)

(c)

and (b) A’s heirs or devisees take a f.s.a.

and (d) C takes a f.s.a.

Twenty-five states (executory interest half):

	(a)	A’s heirs or devisees take a f.s.a. (5); B takes a f.s.a. by way of executory interest (6).
	(b)	A’s heirs or devisees take a f.s.a.
	(c) and (d)	C takes a fee simple absolute (5); C takes a fee simple subject to an executory interest that will fall in if A dies without surviving issue (6).

Please send comments to Rosemary Spang

URL: http://www.courses.law.harvard.edu/faculty/cdonahue/courses/prop/assign/FeeTailAns.html

last modified: 08/08/09