Virginia Code 55.1-106: Power of disposal in life tenant not to defeat remainder unless exercised; power of disposal held by fiduciary
If any interest in or claim to real estate or personal property is disposed of by deed or will for life, with a limitation in remainder over, and the same instrument confers expressly or by implication a power upon the life tenant in his lifetime or by will to dispose absolutely of such property, the limitation in remainder over shall not fail, or be defeated, except to the extent that the life tenant lawfully exercised such power of disposal. A deed of trust or mortgage executed by the life tenant shall not be construed to be an absolute disposition of the estate, unless such estate is sold under the deed of trust or mortgage. A power of disposal held by any person in a fiduciary capacity under an express trust in writing shall not be deemed to be held by such fiduciary in a beneficial capacity and shall not be construed in any manner to enlarge the beneficial interest otherwise given to him under such trust.
Terms Used In Virginia Code 55.1-106
- Deed: The legal instrument used to transfer title in real property from one person to another.
- Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
- in writing: include any representation of words, letters, symbols, numbers, or figures, whether (i) printed or inscribed on a tangible medium or (ii) stored in an electronic or other medium and retrievable in a perceivable form and whether an electronic signature authorized by Chapter 42. See Virginia Code 1-257
- Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
- Person: includes any individual, corporation, partnership, association, cooperative, limited liability company, trust, joint venture, government, political subdivision, or any other legal or commercial entity and any successor, representative, agent, agency, or instrumentality thereof. See Virginia Code 1-230
- Personal property: All property that is not real property.
- real estate: includes lands, tenements and hereditaments, and all rights and appurtenances thereto and interests therein, other than a chattel interest. See Virginia Code 1-219
- Remainder: An interest in property that takes effect in the future at a specified time or after the occurrence of some event, such as the death of a life tenant.
Code 1919, § 5147; Code 1950, § 55-7; 1978, c. 659; 2005, c. 935; 2019, c. 712.