Re:Eve Online alliance leader banned after threatening to cu...
by todd8 on Wednesday September 13, 2017 @05:36PM
(#15242946)
I own a lot right now that grants me an easement for access to it. The easement was established by the original developer that laid out the roads and property lines for the whole subdivision.
This easement crosses a corner of a neighbor's lot. The neighbor asked me to sell the easement back to him or enter into a contract with him that I wouldn't use it. He wanted to put his driveway there. I refused because part of the value in my purchase of the lot is the access that the easement grants to me and the neighbor wasn't willing to pay what I considered it to be worth.
My neighbor went ahead and put a very nice driveway, stone wall and garden over my easement; if I ever decide to build on my lot I expect there might be some hard feelings when the bulldozer arrives.
Much of private property has easements on it for various purposes. Some of these are created by the landowner and sold, some are created by the government for various purposes using the power of Eminent Domain. I've seen easements for the purpose of a public trail. I don't see any particularly unlibertarian thing about it, though the government does abuse Eminent Domain from time to time.
Property rights do tend to be complicated, that's why there are lawyers that specialize in it.
One of my neighbors didn't read the title report on his house before he bought it, and discovered to his chagrin that the property behind him had an easement across his property for a driveway to access that lot when it got developed. Oops. It pays to read the title report.