As we discussed here on the blog last week, an easement is a general term for someone’s right to use a portion of your property for a specific purpose. One of the most common types of easement is a right of way.
Right of way is one person’s right to travel across the property of another person. Most commonly, this takes the form of a path, road, or driveway. Let’s look at a couple of common examples:
- One home is built on a flag lot behind another, and some or all of the driveway of the flag lot home is on the property of the house in front.
- The owner of a property with no road access asks for a right of way easement from a neighboring homeowner so that he or she can access their land.
- A homeowner’s land borders public land like a park, and a neighbor has a right of way through the land to access the park from their home.
Any rights of way that have been granted on a property will be listed on the deed or documented. It’s important to understand what easements are present on a property you’re buying before closing day.
Wondering about rights of way? Call us with your questions.
