Probably the most appropriate explanation from Black's Law Dictionary is this one: A reversionary interest is the same as a remainder interest except that in the latter case the property passes to someone other than the original owner upon the expiration of the intervening interest. The language from the deed quoted sounds as if it might be a quitclaim deed to settle a disputed estate. The original owner may have deeded the land "to my son John, for his lifetime, and then to his children." If John died without children, there may have been a dispute over who owns it -- for example, between John's wife and John's brother Paul. John and Paul's brother Frank may have deeded the property to Paul, just to make clear that he didn't claim the reversion.