Chapter 10: Private Land Use Planning Flashcards
Easements - terminology
What is the term for the land benefited by the easement?
Dominant tenement or dominant land
Easements - terminology
What is the term for the land that is burdened by the easement?
Servient tenement or servient land
Easements - terminology
What is the term for the easement holder (the party)?
Dominant owner
Easements - terminology
What is the term for the owner of the servient tenement?
Servient owner
Easements - terminology
What is an appurtenant easement?
It benefits the holder in their use of a specific parcel of land, the dominant tenement
Easements - terminology
What is an easement in gross?
It is not connected to the holder’s use of land, rather it is personal to the holder
Easements - terminology
What is an affirmative easement?
Allows the holder to perform an act on the servient land
Easements - terminology
What is a negative easement?
Allows the holder to prevent the servient owner from performing an act on the servient land
Creating Easements
What does a well-drafted easement by grant contain?
Must satisfyt the SOF
1. Indentify parties
2. Describe servient land and dominant land (if applicable)
3. Describe the exact location of the easement on the servient land
4. State the purposes for which the easement may be used
Creating Easements
What is the difference between a license and an easement?
A license:
1. Is Informal permission
2. To use land for particular purpose
3. Is not an interest in the land
4. May be revoked at any time
Creating Easements
How is transfer handled for easements in gross?
Easements in gross are permitted to transferred unless parties had a contrary intent
Creating Easements
What are the 3 elements needed for implied easement by prior existing use?
- Severance of title to land held in common ownership;
- An existing, apparent, and continuous use of one parcel for the benefit of another at the time of severance; and
- Reasonable necessity for that use at the time of severance
Creating Easements
What is reasonable necessity for creating an implied easement?
Easement must be beneficial for use of the dominant tenement, but need not be essential.
Example: alternative utilities cannot be obtained without a substantial expenditure of money or labor
Creating Easements
What are the required elements for creating an easement by necessity?
- Severance of title to land held in common ownership and
- Necessity for the easement at the time of severance
Creating Easements
How much necessity is needed to create an easement by necessity?
A reasonable necessity: the easement must be beneficial for the use of the dominant parcel, but not absolutely necessary
Creating Easements
How long does easement by necessity last?
Only as long as the necessity lasts
Creating Easements
What are the required elements of prescriptive easement?
- Open and notorious;
- Adverse and hostile;
- Continuous; and
- For the statutory period
* Tacking may be used
Creating Easements
What are the required elements of an irrevocable license (easement by estoppel)?
- Landowner allows another to use land, creating a license
- Licensee relies in good faith on the license, usually by making improvements and/or incurring costs
- Licensor knows or reasonably should expect such reliance will occur
Terminating Easements
What are the standard ways to terminate an easement?
- Condemnation
- Estoppel
- Merger
- Misuse
- Release
Terminating Easements
How does condemnation effect an easement?
If the servient land is condemned, the easement is terminated. The easement holder is entitled to just compensation