What Is an Easement in Real Estate?

An easement is a legal right to use someone else's land for a specific purpose. For example, you may have an easement to use a neighbor's driveway to access your own property. Easements are created by agreement between the parties or by prescription (meaning the easement has been used for a certain period of time).

Easements are typically categorized as either "positive" or "negative." Positive easements grant the holder the right to do something on the land, like build a fence or plant trees. Negative easements, on the other hand, place restrictions on the land, such as prohibiting the construction of a new building.

Easements can be for the benefit of an individual, a group of people, or the general public. For example, a utility company may have an easement to run power lines across your property.

Easements are typically recorded with the local land records office, so it's important to check for easements before you purchase a property. Easements can impact the value of a property, so it's important to be aware of them before you make an offer.

Who is responsible for easement maintenance?

The owner of the land that the easement crosses is typically responsible for maintaining the easement. This includes making sure that the easement is clear and accessible, and that any structures on the easement (such as fences or gates) are in good repair.

What are the 3 types of easements? There are three types of easements: affirmative, negative, and appurtenant.

Affirmative easements give the holder the right to do something on the property, such as build a driveway or fence. Negative easements prevent the holder from doing something on the property, such as blocking a view. Appurtenant easements benefit a particular property, such as a right of way to access it.

What is a negative easement?

An easement is a legally binding agreement between two parties that gives one party the right to use the property of the other party for a specific purpose. A negative easement, also known as a restrictive easement, is an agreement between two parties that restricts the use of the property of one party for the benefit of the other party.

What are easement rights?

An easement is a right to use someone else's land for a specific purpose. For example, a utility company may have an easement to bury power lines on your property. An easement is different from owning the land. The owner of the land still owns the land, but the holder of the easement has the right to use the land for the specified purpose.

There are two types of easements:

1. An easement appurtenant benefits the owner of a particular piece of land. For example, if you own a house with a driveway, the driveway easement benefits your property.

2. An easement in gross benefits an individual or a company, rather than a particular piece of land. For example, a utility company may have an easement in gross to bury power lines on any property it owns.

Easements are created by either an express grant from the owner of the land or by implication. An express grant is when the owner of the land expressly agrees to give someone else an easement. An implied easement is created when the circumstances indicate that the owner of the land intended to give someone else an easement. For example, if you own a house with a driveway, the driveway easement is an implied easement because it is necessary for the enjoyment of your property. Which would terminate an easement? If an easement is no longer needed or desired, the owner of the land on which the easement exists can terminate it. This is typically done by conveying a deed of release to the holder of the easement, which extinguishes the easement.