A defeasible fee simple estate may revert to the grantor if

• A. Ownership is transferred to heirs automatically.
• B. The prescribed use changes.
• C. The property is sold.
• D. The grantor dies.

Answer: (B)

Defeasible fee simple estates carry a condition that, if not met, can cause the property to revert to the grantor. The most direct trigger is a change in the prescribed use; when the use changes, the condition is breached and the property may revert. This is exactly how the reverter is activated in these estates: the ownership remains with the grantee only as long as the specified use is maintained. The other scenarios don’t automatically cause reversion—transferring to heirs, selling the property, or the grantor’s death do not, on their own, trigger the defeasance unless the deed itself ties those events to the condition.