Upon the death of the owner, a life estate passes to

• A. The original owner or other named person.
• B. The owner's heirs.
• C. The state.
• D. The owner's spouse.

Answer: (A)

A life estate ends when the life tenant dies, and title then passes to the person designated to receive it in the creation document—the remainderman. That recipient is either the original owner (if the grantor reserved a reversion) or another person named to receive the property after the life estate ends. Heirs don’t automatically inherit the life estate, and the state only takes it if there are no heirs or will (escheat). A surviving spouse would only receive it if the instrument specifically provides for that. So the best answer reflects the future interest designated by the grantor: the original owner or another named person.