Easement Basics : How Easements Modify Property Rights to Accommodate the Modern World

Course Description

This course delves into the essential role of easements in property law and their influence on design and development. We'll explore the impacts easements have on what can be done on a property – to property rights, what is constructible, different land uses, and development patterns. You’ll learn about the different types of easements and the specific permissions and restrictions each usually entails, and the basics of how easements are established and terminated.

We’ll also review a couple of short example easements to cover how to interpret easement documents and incorporate their implications into into design and construction, with practical strategies to tackle easement-related challenges.

By bridging the gap between law and design, this course aims to provide you with the knowledge to ask the right questions to navigate easement issues, balancing legal requirements with design and construction considerations in professional practice.

Learning Objectives

• Describe how easements influence and modify property ownership rights, and through that modification, impact land use and development possibilities.

• Discuss easement types and their key characteristics requiring further investigation during site analysis and building programming.

• Analyze easement documentation and assess effects on planning, design and construction, including easement agreements, title searches, and property surveys.

• Predict easement-related conflicts in design and construction using knowledge of common easement-related conflicts in design and construction .