In the scenario where Owner A grants a life estate to his sister for the life of their mother, what happens upon the mother's death if Owner A is alive?

When Owner A grants a life estate to his sister for the life of their mother, the sister's rights to the property are contingent upon the life of the mother. This means that the sister has a valid interest in the property only while the mother is alive. Upon the mother’s death, the life estate held by the sister automatically terminates.

Since the life estate is created by Owner A, and as long as Owner A is still alive, the property would revert back to him upon the termination of the life estate. This type of arrangement is known as a "reversion," where the original owner (in this case, Owner A) is entitled to regain full ownership of the property once the terms of the life estate have ended.

The other options do not accurately reflect the legal principles governing life estates. The estate cannot pass entirely to the sister since her interest in the property is strictly limited to the duration of their mother’s life. It does not transfer to Owner A's children unless Owner A decides to do so in his will or another legal document after the life estate ends. Furthermore, the state does not become involved in this scenario unless there are complicated issues such as taxation or no heirs, which are not indicated in this context. Thus, the