The online resource for UK Property Law

Easements

The editor of this section of the site is Emma Humphreys, partner at Charles Russell Speechleys

This section contains material on a number of matters relating to easements. The topics covered can be seen in the contents list on the left.

Fencing

Obligation to create fencing Creation by express grant in a Conveyance Churston Golf Club v Haddock [2018] EWHC 347 (HC) Summary It is possible for a fencing easement to be created by express grant in a Conveyance. Facts Relying on a clause in a 1972 conveyance of the...

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Construing rights of way

This page contains a statement of the general principle that applies when interpreting easements; ie that: "The task of interpretation with which the court is faced requires the intention of the parties to the original conveyances to be ascertained from the words of...

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Repair to right of way

Repair to right of way Carter v Cole [2006] EWCA Civ 398. This was a dispute relating to the repair of a right of way, and payment of contributions to the cost of repair, that turned upon the express terms of a reservation. However, the CA usefully set out the general...

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Implied and s62

No express right on construction No implied right in contradiction In Parker v Roberts [2019] EWCA Civ 121 the Court of Appeal determined, as a matter of construction of the conveyance (applying Arnold v Britton [2015] 1 AC 1619), that a landowner, who wished to build...

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Extinguisment

This page contains two cases: Effect on easement contained in lease when it merges with the freehold - Wall v Collins Effect on easement where use made impossible by statutory obligation - Jones v Cleanthi Easement appurtenant to lease Effect of merger with freehold...

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Abandonment

It is almost impossible to establish that a person with the benefit of an easement has lost it by abandonment. This page deals with two recent cases that make this clear. CDC2020 plc v Ferreira [2005] EWCA Civ 611 The principle Lloyd LJ, para 24: ".. the dominant...

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Increasing the burden

Change of purpose This page contains two cases that deal with the issue of whether or not the owner of the dominant land can change the purpose for which the land is used. Will the dominant owner be able to use the easement for the new purpose? For example, if the...

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Substantial interference

On this page we cover the general principle that the owner of the servient land (the land subject to the easement) must not substantially interfere with the right enjoyed by the owner of the dominant land (the land with the benefit of the easement) and what that...

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Prescription

This page deals with: The basic point - prescription is based on user of the servient land The position where the owner of the land has no power to grant an easement - can a prescriptive easement arise? Acquisition of prescriptive easements where the servient land is...

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Parking and mooring

This page deals with: the issue of whether or not a right to park (or moor a boat) can exist as an easement, and preventing a right arising by prescription. Can a right to park exist as an easement? Introduction In Batchelor v Marlow [2001] EWCA 1051 the Court of...

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