Mrs. Smith granted property to the animal shelter with a condition. What type of estate is this?

The correct answer is a fee simple defeasible estate. This type of estate is characterized by a condition that must be fulfilled; if the condition is not met, the property can revert back to the grantor or to a specified third party. In the scenario with Mrs. Smith granting property to the animal shelter, the stipulation of a condition indicates that her intention was to create an estate where the shelter’s ownership is contingent upon fulfilling certain terms.

In contrast, a life estate grants ownership for the duration of a person’s life and typically reverts back to the original owner or their heirs upon the death of that individual. A fee simple absolute represents the most complete form of ownership in real estate without conditions or restrictions, allowing the holder to do anything with the property without the risk of losing it due to unmet conditions. A leasehold estate, on the other hand, allows a tenant to occupy property for a specified duration under a lease agreement, which is unrelated to the conditions tied to ownership of property like in this scenario. Thus, the specific existence of a condition attached to the property transfer aligns perfectly with the definition of a fee simple defeasible estate.