Easements Flashcards
equitable limitation –> what is the SCOPE of your easement? (2)
1) is use of the kind contemplated? 2) place an unreasonable burden on the servient estate?
scope of E: use of kind contemplated: location (minority)
servient estate owner can change the location if s. pays for it
ending an e.: why do you need to?
easements are forever, unless ended
can’t get e. by prescription bc it’s not adverse or hostile? then try
otherwise if license could be e.b.e maybe
Green v. Lupo
F: P had easement over D’s strip of land and using fro road, builds mobile home park and they are racing motorcycles H: the E. is appurtenant bc of presumption in favor (and wasn’t clear from writing) N: ex. of e. being divisible also (applying to all the mobile home owners). Court did agree to equitable limitations–dnw undue burden on servient owner’s estate, so ok limit motorcycle racing
ending an e: merger or unity of title
can’t have an e. on your own land, so if they merge it’s gone (if later land divided again you’d have to start over to try to get an e)
e. by necessity: dominant and servient estates formerly 1 parcel (qualifier) (2)
dnh to be immediately before in teh chain of title, and dnn prior use (ok easement be dormant for a time)
Lobato v. Taylor
F: CO landowners want easement to access Taylor property from back int he time of Mx law H: court finds e. (prescriptive, estoppel, AND prior use) –> previous use permitted, reasonable to foresee change in position (survival/food) and they DID change position (settle land) N: contextual interpretation vs formalist legal analysis
E. by estoppel: license by owner to use land
normally for access purposes
E. by estoppel c/c license
E. by estoppel starts out as license, goes on or so long and in such a way that it ripens into EBE
e. in gross
attaches to people
E. by estoppel: extra non-W element
fraud/deception on part of grantor
dividing e. appurtenant vocab
“divisibility”
easements vs licenses (and 1 exception)
E: formal, usu permanent, right, interest in land, subject to SoF, transferable – licenses none of these But note: implied easesments are less formal, blurring the line
F: P claims easement over portion of gravel lot used by trucks to turn around H: prescriptive easement elements…dnh to prove area used w absolute precision, just generally where it was. (C AP: bc claim of right, must look at actual use to define Bs of easement
Community Feed Store Inc v. Northeastern Culvert Corp
Can e. be subdivided?: in gross: typical example
e. sold btwn utility cos
easements v. leases
lease: possessory rights to use defined space for all uses (unless otherwise specified), Easements are nonposessory
easement by prescription: elements (6)
Use must be: 1) actual 2) nonexclusive (contrast AP) 3) open and notorious 4) adverse/hositle under claim of right or color of title 5) continuous 6) for a statutory period
express easement: intent
by grantor, to run w the estate (if ambiguous, circumstances…)
easement by prescription (def)
similar to AP but at the end you get use instead of title
E. by estoppel: reasonable reliance: Define “reasonable” (6)
consider –conduct of parties, –oral assurances –social context –amount of time –if LL was expressly withholding e. and why –parties actions
easement: actual notice
eg a writing
Finn v. Williams
F: Ps have landlocked parcel, now can no longer exit over another’s property so want E.B.N. over D’s land (used to be 1 parcel) H: landlocked parcel can’t waive its right to EBN even if it lay dormand through transfers of title
scope of e.: use of kind contemplated: location (majority/W)
majority/W: can’t change the location of your easement –defined by grantor’s intent and instrument at the time created
Can e. be subdivided: in gross: “exclusive” def
exculsive of the grantor
ending an e: marketable title acts
statutes aying that interests in land have to be re-recorded every x years (by true owner), otherwise not binding
the only ko transferable license
movie tickets
easement by prescription – c/c AP element (2) and result
Element: PE is nonexclusive of true owner, AP exclusive 2) PE is USE, AP possession Result: 2) PE leads to non-fee interest (no-title)
can e. be subdivided? apurtenant
majority view: YES – e benefits entire dominant estate and can be apportioned among subsequent owners
courts presumption: appertenant v. in gross?
strong presumption for appertenant
ending an e: express release
bargain for a k to end the e.
scope of easement: use of kind contemplated: territory of easement
usu can’t expand territory of your easement (that would be an unreasonable buren…c)
express easement: in writing (4 requirements)
–subject to SoF –usu conveyed in deed but not required to be mentioned in subsequent deeds –must be written AT MOMENT CREATED –must specify: grantor, grantee, what easement is actually granting
can e. be subdivided? appurtenant: basic scenario
owner of dominant estate now wants to divide his estate (eg sell part of it to someone else, or create a subdivision…)
scope of e: use of kind contemplated: sub-elements in W (3)
1) RoW can be used for any reasonable PURPOSE 2) usu can’t expand TERRITORY of e. 3) and can’t change LOCATION of e.
how to interpret ambiguities in e.s?
language, circumstances
F: Ps have landlocked parcel, now can no longer exit over another’s property so want E.B.N. over D’s land (used to be 1 parcel) H: landlocked parcel can’t waive its right to EBN even if it lay dormand through transfers of title
Finn v. Williams