33 M.R.S. §157: Conveyance of greater estate, conveys only interest owned

A conveyance of a greater estate than he can lawfully convey, made by a tenant for life or years, will pass what estate he has and will not work a forfeiture, and no expectant estate can be defeated by any act of the owner of the precedent estate or by any destruction of it, except as provided in section 156.