Five Ways In Which Property Easements May Be Terminated
A real estate property easement grants one party the legal right to use another party's property without acquiring ownership of the said property. If there is an easement on your property and you are wondering how to end it, you should know that there are various ways in which property easements can end, and they include the following:
Express agreement
In this case, an easement is terminated when the parties involved in it sit down and agree to terminate it. This agreement is typically made in writing and is one of the easiest and clearest ways to end an easement. For example, if you granted a neighbor an easement to use a section of your property as parking space, you can sit down with them to terminate the easement if you want to use the parking space for other things. You should note that both of you have to agree to the termination.
Ending By Necessity
This is what happens when the need for which the easement was created no longer applies and the easement holder longer needs to use the property. Take a case where school children use a path across your land to get to school and have an easement for the same. Such an easement ends if the school is relocated and the students no longer have to cross your land.
Abandonment
In this case, the easement stops when the holder of the easements states their intention to terminate it and takes steps or actions to that end. Note that the easement holder has to take active steps terminating the easement; it is not enough for them merely to state their intention to end the easement. For example, if a person had an easement allowing them to pass natural gas through your property, the easement may stop when they no longer need natural gas and they install systems using other sources of fuel.
Title Merger
This is what happens when you acquire the property holding an easement on your land so that you become the sole owner of both properties. Consider an example where a neighbor has an easement to use a section of your land as a path or parking area. You can terminate the easement by buying the neighbor's property and merging it with your land.
Expiration
Easements are not always permanent; some easements are granted for limited periods. For example, you may grant a neighbor the right to use a section of your land to store building materials for three years while they are building their home. Such an easement automatically terminates when the construction period ends.
For more information, you can contact a real estate attorney in your area.