Casa Academy

Reviewed by Casa Academy and updated July 29, 2026 using the current DBPR checklist and Pearson VUE scheduling guidance.

Pur Autre Vie

Pur autre vie is a life estate measured by the lifetime of someone other than the holder, granting possession and use until that named person dies, after which the property reverts to the remainderman or passes according to the grant.

Exam context

Pur autre vie life estate measured by another person's life. Life estate pur sa vie measured by holder's life. Fee simple absolute is unlimited duration. Remainder follows life estate termination.

Estate structure

The life tenant pur autre vie holds rights while a designated person (the measuring life) lives, which may be the grantor, a family member, or any identified individual. When the measuring life ends, the life estate terminates automatically. Remainder interests vest in fee holders named in the deed or will.

Transfer and duties

Life tenants must maintain property and pay ordinary operating expenses but cannot commit waste. They may lease or mortgage only for the estate duration. Title searches reveal pur autre vie chains affecting marketability. Agents disclose limited duration to buyers when remainder interests remain.

Examples

  • Grant for caregiver

    A deed grants a daughter a life estate pur autre vie for the life of her elderly mother, allowing occupancy until the mother dies even if the daughter survives longer under a different measuring rule.

  • Remainder to charity

    A will leaves a home to a sibling for life pur autre vie for the life of the testator's spouse, then remainder to a university, defining both present and future interests.

Keep studying

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