When purchasing a property or piece of land, you expect to be able to enjoy it. You may also have expectations in terms of privacy.
However, the laws regarding property and real estate can be nuanced. Often, other property owners may have a right to use land that you own. This is referred to as having a right of easement. Outlined below are some of the most common forms of easements.
Private easements
Private easements are relatively common. These occur when a landowner agrees to let another party use their land. For instance, if a neighbor needed a water pipe to run through another property owner’s land, they may acquire an easement.
Utility easements
There are very few houses that run without gas, electricity, water, broadband and other utilities. Generally, to have the benefits of such utilities, the utility company will need access to the land surrounding the property. The property owner may agree to a utility easement, which means that the utility company has a right to work on and install the necessary equipment on private land.
Necessary easements
Many easements involve negotiations and agreements between two or more parties. Nonetheless, there are occasions when easements are absolutely necessary. For instance, if the only route to an individual’s house is via a privately owned road, then they will likely have an easement that grants them an unrestricted right to use that road.
Real estate law, and easements in particular, can be complex. If you are in the midst of a real estate dispute, gathering as much legal information as possible will help you get to the bottom of it.