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Long Live The Dead Hand: A Case For Repeal Of The Rule Against Perpetuities In Washington, Keith L. Butler

Washington Law Review

The common law rule against perpetuities has had a storied career spanning several centuries and two legal systems. The rule developed to curb the concentration of wealth in the hands of a few, and to limit the control of property by those no longer alive to use it. Legendary for its complexity, the rule has undergone statutory reform in many states; some states have gone so fara s to repeal the rule outright. Washington has embraced two of the major reforms of the rule and is considering repeal. This Comment argues that the rule, even with reform, no longer serves …