GA Code § 44-6-83 (2021)
2021 Georgia Code|Title 44 - Property|Chapter 6 - Estates|Article 5 - Life Estates|§ 44-6-83. Rights and Duties of Life Tenant; Forfeiture of Interest to Remainderman

 The tenant for life shall be entitled to the full use and enjoyment of the property if in such use he exercises the ordinary care of a prudent man for its preservation and protection and commits no acts which would permanently injure the remainder or reversion interest. For the want of such care or the willful commission of such acts, the tenant for life shall forfeit his interest to the remainderman if the remainderman elects to claim immediate possession.   (Orig. Code 1863, § 2235; Code 1868, § 2229; Code 1873, § 2255; Code 1882, § 2255; Civil Code 1895, § 3090; Civil Code 1910, § 3666; Code 1933, § 85-604.)   Law reviews.   - For article surveying recent legislative and judicial developments in Georgia's real property laws, see 31 Mercer L. Rev. 187 (1979). For comment on Graham v. Bryant, 211 Ga. 856, 89 S.E.2d 640 (1955), see 19 Ga. B.J. 362 (1957).   JUDICIAL DECISIONS   ANALYSIS    General Consideration   Rights and Duties of Life Tenant   Rights and Duties of Remainderman    RESEARCH REFERENCES   Am. Jur. 2d.   - 28 Am. Jur. 2d, Estates, § 113. 51 Am. Jur. 2d, Life Tenants and Remaindermen, §§ 3, 4, 28, 29, 32, 33, 157 et seq., 175 et seq.   16B Am. Jur. Pleading and Practice Forms, Life Tenants and Remaindermen, § 6.   C.J.S.   - 31 C.J.S., Estates, §§ 40, 41, 44 et seq., 53 et seq., 73, 78, 80, 161, 163, 173 et seq. 96 C.J.S., Wills, § 1287 et seq.   ALR.    - Rights and duties of life tenant with power to anticipate or enjoy principal, 2 A.L.R. 1243; 27 A.L.R. 1381; 69 A.L.R. 825; 114 A.L.R. 946.    Conveyance by life tenant and remaindermen in esse as cutting off interest of unborn persons under devise for life with remainder to a class, 25 A.L.R. 770.    Right of one who furnishes support to another entitled to life support from property, as against such property or the owner of present or future estates therein, 31 A.L.R. 658.    Rights of life tenant and remainderman inter se as to oil and gas, 43 A.L.R. 811.    Right of estate of life beneficiary to income under a trust which confides to discretion of trustee the part of the income principal to be paid to him, 61 A.L.R. 677.    Life tenant's liability for waste as affected by assignment or transfer of his interest, 71 A.L.R. 1187.    Sale or exchange of property which is subject to life estate and remainder, where it is unproductive, or income is insufficient to pay taxes and upkeep, 76 A.L.R. 540.    Right as between life tenant and remainderman in respect of property, estates, or securities of a wasting, consumable, or perishable nature, 77 A.L.R. 753; 170 A.L.R. 133.    Right to mechanics' lien against fee for work or material furnished under contract with, or consent of, life tenant, 97 A.L.R. 870.    Requiring security from life tenant for protection of remainderman, 101 A.L.R. 271; 138 A.L.R. 440.    Duty of life tenant in respect of repairs as affected by amount of income, 101 A.L.R. 681.    Adverse possession as against remainderman during life estate as affected by fact that conveyance by life tenant purported to cover fee, 112 A.L.R. 1042.    Propriety during life estate on unproductive property of authorizing mortgage binding upon remaindermen to raise fund to taxes, repairs, or other charges against property, and powers of trustees in that respect, 116 A.L.R. 1420.    Rights of life tenant (legal or equitable) and remaindermen in respect of amount paid by lessee in consideration of release, 121 A.L.R. 900.    Duty of life tenant or life beneficiary to pay taxes, and resulting rights and liabilities, 126 A.L.R. 862.    Rights and duties of life tenant and remainderman (income and corpus) with respect to repairs and improvements, 128 A.L.R. 199; 175 A.L.R. 1434.    Relative rights of tenant for years or life and remainderman as to return on bonds or other obligations for the payment of money bought at a premium or discount, 131 A.L.R. 1426.    Life tenant in possession as implied or quasi trustee, 137 A.L.R. 1054.    Right of estate of life beneficiary to income of trust for distribution, but not actually distributed, by trustee at time of life beneficiary's death, 141 A.L.R. 1466.    Right of life tenant under a grant or reservation of a life interest in oil and gas (as distinguished from the land) in res of oil and gas developed after the commencement of his interest, 150 A.L.R. 695.    Uniform Principal and Income Act as applicable to estates under administration, 166 A.L.R. 428.   Invasion of principal in behalf of income beneficiary, absent or contrary to provision of trust instrument in that regard, 1 A.L.R.2d 1328.   Propriety of payment of funeral expenses of life beneficiary or life tenant out of corpus or estate under instrument providing for invasion of corpus or estate for support of such person, 18 A.L.R.2d 1236.   Right as between life beneficiaries and remaindermen, or successive life beneficiaries, in corporate dividends or distributions, 44 A.L.R.2d 1277.   Life tenant's right of action for injury or damage to property, 49 A.L.R.2d 1117.   Timber rights of life tenant, 51 A.L.R.2d 1374.   Nature of remainder created by inter vivos trust giving settlor, trustee, or life beneficiary power to exhaust trust fund or otherwise terminate trust, 61 A.L.R.2d 477.   Measure of damages in landlord's action for waste against tenant, 82 A.L.R.2d 1106.   Forfeiture of life estate for waste, 16 A.L.R.3d 1344.   Implication of right of life tenant to entrench upon or dispose of corpus from language contemplating possible diminution or elimination of gift over, 31 A.L.R.3d 6.   What constitutes reasonably necessary use of the surface of the leasehold by a mineral owner, lessee, or driller under an oil and gas lease or drilling contract, 53 A.L.R.3d 16.   Right of contingent remainderman to maintain action for damages for waste, 56 A.L.R.3d 677.   Duty as between life tenant and remainderman with respect to cost of improvements or repairs made under compulsion of governmental authority, 43 A.L.R.4th 1012.