The European Union
The European Union
The European Union
Not
Mentioned
Quasi
Easement
by
Knud
E.
Hermansen†
P.L.S.,
P.E.,
Ph.D.,
Esq.
The
previous
articles
have
introduced
surveyors
to
two
forms
of
implied
easements
that
arrive
by
information
found
in
the
documents
rather
than
express
conveyance
of
the
easements.
The
failure
of
the
surveyor
to
identify
implied
easements
may
subject
the
surveyor
to
liability
when
damages
to
the
client
result.
One
form
of
implied
easement
is
known
as
a
quasi
easement.
A
quasi
easement
is
almost
always
appurtenant
to
property.
In
other
words,
once
the
easement
is
created,
it
attached
to
one
property
and
burdens
other
property,
and
will
exist
regardless
if
mentioned
in
deeds
to
the
property.
A
quasi
easement
will
exist
when
there
is:
1)
an
existing
use
at
the
time
of
a
division
and
grant,
2)
the
use
was
apparent
at
the
division
and
grant,
and
3)
the
use
continued
for
the
benefit
(reasonable
comfort
and
enjoyment)
of
a
property
after
the
division
and
conveyance.
In
other
words,
the
respective
lots
arising
after
the
division
will
be
burdened
or
benefited
as
the
situation
existed
prior
to
the
division
so
long
as
the
use
is
either
known
to
exist
or
the
situation
is
such
as
to
reveal
its
existence
to
anyone
exercising
ordinary
care.
As
a
consequence
a
buried
or
concealed
use
will
not
pass
as
a
quasi
easement.
Such
a
use
to
be
recognized
as
an
easement
requires
an
express
grant
Septic Field
Septic Field
Mother in Law
House
Home
In
the
above
example,
the
owner
decided
to
convey
an
existing
“mother-‐in-‐law
house”
and
lot.
(Hopefully
after
the
mother-‐in-‐law
passed
away.)
In
the
above
example,
the
grantee
who
purchased
the
mother-‐in-‐law
house
and
lot
would
have
a
quasi
easement
for
the
driveway
and
a
quasi
easement
for
the
utility
line.
The
grantor
may
have
a
quasi
easement
for
the
septic
field
and
driveway.
Some
states
require
that
the
use
forming
the
basis
for
the
quasi
easement
be
a
necessary
use
with
strict
necessity
required
when
benefiting
the
grantor’s
remaining
land.
Under
the
criteria
of
strict
necessity,
the
grantor’s
septic
field
may
not
qualify
as
a
quasi
easement
because
the
septic
field
can
be
located
at
a
different
location.
Therefore
an
easement
for
the
existing
septic
field
is
not
strictly
necessary.
The
courts
require
a
higher
standard
for
the
grantor
to
have
a
quasi
easement
because
the
grantor,
exercising
due
diligence
in
the
preparation
of
the
deed,
could
have
expressly
stated
what
was
intended
to
be
reserved.
Put
in
other
words,
why
should
the
innocent
grantee
be
burdened
by
a
use
that
the
grantor
failed
to
expressly
reserve
in
the
grantor’s
favor.
In
these
cases,
the
courts
have
reasoned
that
the
grantee
should
only
be
subject
to
a
use
not
expressly
reserved
when
the
use
is
apparent
and
of
such
necessity
that
a
reasonable
person
would
have
to
know
the
use
was
meant
to
be
reserved
in
favor
of
the
grantor.
As
seen
from
the
example,
easements
for
a
use
that
existed
at
the
time
of
division
and
was
continued
after
the
division
give
rise
to
an
implied
easement.
The
surveyor
must
not
presume
that
every
use
not
reflected
as
an
express
citation
within
the
deed
is
an
encroachment.
†
Knud
is
a
professor
in
the
surveying
engineering
technology
program
at
the
University
of
Maine.
He
provides
consulting
services
in
the
areas
of
boundary
retracement,
boundary
litigation,
roads,
easements,
property
title,
land
development,
and
alternative
dispute
resolution.