Property is sold by the testator prior to death and is not owned by the testator at death. This is known as what?

• A. Ademption by satisfaction
• B. Ademption by extinction
• C. Testamentary trust
• D. Self-proving affidavit

Answer: (B)

Ademption by extinction occurs when a bequest is for a specific item that is no longer in the testator’s estate at death. If the designated property is sold before death and the testator no longer owns it, there is nothing left to pass to the beneficiary, so the bequest fails. That’s why the scenario fits ademption by extinction. By contrast, ademption by satisfaction happens when the testator gives the beneficiary the value or a substitute asset during life to satisfy the bequest. A testamentary trust is a trust created by the will to take effect after death, and a self-proving affidavit is a document to streamline probate, not the fate of a specific bequest.