An easement is any right, privilege or benefit that one enjoys in the land of another. Examples are common driveways, overhead utility wires, and underground drainage lines installed and maintained by the town public works or water department. It may be a right- of-way granted through a neighbor’s property for a specific number of years. In general, an easement is the right of a person to use someone else’s land for a particular purpose.

If you are the buyer and someone else will have the right to use your property, you will want to know about it beforehand. Therefore, tread carefully with contracts which include the printed clause, “subject to easements of record”. If subsequent objectionable easements are found in the title examination, you will have no recourse. If there is any mention about easements at all in the agreement of sale, they should be checked out in detail just to be sure you don’t have any unpleasant surprises in the future.