What You Should Know About Easements and How They Affect Your Project

If you have never heard the term ‘easement’ and you have recently invested in property, you will want to become familiar with this term.  Many property owners have easements on their property, which mean they need to adhere to certain rules when utilizing their property.  Easements are legal agreements between the property owner and another individual to outline specific uses for the property.  Commonly, you may see driveway or road easements, meaning that a neighbor or utility company will be able to use that specific part of your land for a driveway or road that runs through it.  These are a few things you should know about easements so you can prepare for how it may affect your land purchase.

Finding Easements

How do you know if there is an existing easement on a property you would like to purchase?  To find easements, you can look at the public records.  Finding easements may be difficult, since some of them date back over 100 years and property may have changed multiple hands since then.  Consider ordering a title report to receive a detailed evaluation of the property, which will help to locate any issues, liens, or easements.

Utility Easements

One common type of easement is a utility easement.  These are typically at the front or back of your property, as they allow for utility cables, pipes, and lines to be run throughout the neighborhood, development, or property.  When you have a utility easement on your property, you are prohibited to place a structure over this area.  

Private Easements

Another common type of easement is known as a private easement, or a right-of-way easement.  These are typically designated spaces on your property to allow for through traffic for neighbors.  When you live in a more isolated or small residential community, you may have to adhere to these agreements to let your neighbors drive on that lane or road.  Typically, there may be some type of compensation or price reduction to appease the property owner and allow for these types of easements.

Removing Easements

Removing easements will need to occur with the agreement of all affected parties.  This may be much more difficult, or even impossible, to perform depending on the type of easement you want to remove.  When you live in a busy residential community, utility easements are necessary for the function of everyone else’s home, which means they will not be removable.  If you are performing land clearing in Flagler Beach, particularly a remote section, you may be able to remove an easement.  This is especially true when the reason for the easement is no longer needed, like the road is no longer used or the utilities are no longer shared with other members of the community.

These are a few of the things you should know about easements before you start any projects, like land clearing in Flagler Beach.  When you need professional assistance with land development, contact Roger Landworks to hear how we can help you today.