Right of way or easement

with:
Leave a comment
Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

 

Right of Way & Easements - City of Lenexa, KS

An easement is a broad right to use someone else’s land for a specific purpose (like utilities or drainage), while a right-of-way (ROW) is a type of easement specifically granting the right to pass over another’s property for access, often to a public road, forming a path. Think of it as: all ROWs are easements, but not all easements are ROWs; an ROW is about passage, while other easements might be for things like power lines or water pipes. Key conditions for a compulsory ROW often involve a landlocked property needing access, with the path chosen to cause the least harm to the neighbor’s land and requiring fair compensation.  

Easement
  • Definition: 
    A legal right to use a portion of another person’s land for a specific, defined purpose. 

  • Examples: 
    Utility easements (power lines, sewer pipes), drainage easements, or even light/view easements. 

  • Scope: 
    Can be for continuous use (like drainage) or intermittent (like an inspection). 

Right of Way (ROW)

Definition: A specific easement for passage or travel over another’s property. 

Purpose: To provide access to a public highway for a landlocked property (dominant estate). 

 

Key Requirements (Compulsory):
  • Property is surrounded by other immovable properties. 
  • No adequate access to a public highway. 
  • Isolation isn’t the owner’s fault. 
  • The path chosen is the least prejudicial (damaging) to the neighbor’s land (servient estate). 
  • Proper indemnity (payment) must be made for the ROW.