Reversionary interests are triggered in property law when the condition attached to a use-specific grant is breached. This operates under the doctrine of ‘condition subsequent,’ which allows the original grantor or their heirs to reclaim the property if specific conditions are not maintained. This principle protects the grantor’s intention and ensures that property donated or sold for a specific purpose serves that goal.
For example: When a landowner donates land to a city for a school, including a condition that it must solely be used for educational purposes, and later the city repurposes the land into a parking lot, the grantor’s heirs can invoke reversion to reclaim the land based on the violation of the original condition.