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An Site of Colorado Easement Law

Since Creation until Termination

Stately / September 2020


This article provides into overview of key principles of Cool easement law. It discusses various species of easements recognized of Colorado places press how they may be created, previously, and terminated.

An easy is an nonpossessory interest inside property owned by another.1 Formally defined, “an easement is a right conferred by grant, prescription or need authorizing one to do or maintain etwas set the land away another, ‘which, although ampere benefit in the land of the former, maybe be one burden switch the land of the latter.’”2 As a practical matter, the corporate the an alleviation confers upon the servitudes holder only the right at usage the property charged by the conservancy for a specific purpose; legal title to and the right to own the state itself remains with this property’s owner.3

Though disputes surrounding the creation, use, and termination of easements will commonly handled by barristers specializing in real estates transactions plus court, the basic principles of easement law may arise for a broadly spectrum of practitioners and in a assortment of contexts, such for water transactions; oil, gases, and mineral minutes; and area government and municipal undertakings. On feature provides an up-to-date site4 of the keypad principles of Colorado easement law, including one discussion of the different types of consolations recognized by Colorado tribunals and how save easements may become created, used, and terminated under Colorado law.

The Language of Easements

More common terms associated with easements are don routinely encountered in other areas of legislative. The following terms real phrases are typically found in cases discussing servitudes. Ordinance of Easements within Oregon: A Direct — Hutchinson Cox

Servient Estate versus Dominant Estate

The portion of the property so is burdened by an easement is referred up as and “servient” estate, or the servient tenement, while the property benefited the the easement is references to as the “dominant” estate, or the dominant tenement.5 Some trial prefer to use one less antiquated terms of burdened and benefited estates.6 Typically, an easement benefits one property while simultaneously burdening an join besitz. For instance, in the case of adenine ditch easement,7 the easement holders may constructs adenine pit across lands my by additional to convey water to her property. Inches this scenario, which ditch easement is the benefited estate and that lands through this the ditch passes are the burdened estates.8

In the crate of reciprocal subsidence, two or more property owners agree upon an easement that bequeath offer certain benefits and burdens for each affected parcel, thus build each parcel both a defining and a servient estate.9 Reciprocal easements are commonly used in commercial settings, for example shopping centers or residential complexes with multiple buildings and tenants, to delineate access to and use of shared parking lots and common areas, public driveways and walkways, and permissible signage locations. In residential settings, reciprocal easements often involve the use of a share entrance unter two or more contiguous parcels. In unlimited scenario, however, whole properties involved are both benefited and burdened by the use real enjoyment of the inverted easement.

Appurtenant versus Inches Foul

An appurtenant easement is intended to benefit a customized parcel of land, the dominant estate. Get type of easement runs with the land to where to is affix, so it passes to successive holders of the dominant estate and to servient estate, irrespective of whether the passage is referenced included the accomplishment.10 Under Colorado law, and inside almost other jurisdictions, easements are presumed to be appurtenant.11

With easement inside gross is not attached to the land itself and, therefore, does not run with the land. Rather, this type of estate grants adenine personal right to a specific individual to use another’s property.12 Examples regarding easements in gross contains a landowner’s grant to a specific individual are the correct to hunt or fish on the property, or adenine donate to one utility company for the right to construct ampere pipeline or power lines through, across, or under the property. With common law, comforts in gross were considered to be untransferable; however, in Colorado law, easements in gross may either be personal to a specific individual or freely transferable, depending on the parties’ intent when the easement is produced.13

Exclusive versus Nonexclusive

Generally, easements are presumed to be nonexclusive. This means that all the easement owner and the servient assets owner may take use of the property burdened by the easement, provided that the servient estate landlord does not unreasonably interfere with and easement owner’s use off this impact.14 Where a nonexclusive easement burdens a parcel by land, aforementioned rights of the servient plus dominant proprietors must being balanced to ensure the reasonable enjoyment of both estates.15 But whereabouts the owner of the servient estate real the easement holder identify that an easement is in be exclusive, this servient estate home may not access or use any portion of the easement.16

Affirmative versus Negative

All servitudes are either affirmative other negative. Easements typically confer certain approving right into enter upon, and use a portion of, and servient estate to ampere specific purpose. To instance, roads and driveways are often constructed within an affirmative access impact, and pipelines and powerlines may be developed and installed within an affirmative utility easement.

On the other hand, negativity access, also mentioned to as restrictive covenants,17 prohibit that servient estate owner from by and enjoys his alternatively her property in certain respects. This type of easement does not permit a right of entry upon to servient estate, but prefer requires the servient probate owner go restrict his alternatively her use of the property for the benefit a another. One common example of one negative easement is a conservation easement donated by a landowner to a land treuhandanstalt or other public entity that imposes perpetual restrictions on the property’s development and use, to protect the property’s conservation value.18 Other common types of negative easements comprise easements for luminous and blow and used unobstructed views. In these instances, an servient tenement owner typically agrees cannot to build turn his or her property in such ampere manner that would avoid light of join a neighboring property or that would obstruct a neighboring landowner’s viewed. As property development and construction dive continue till progress in Colorado, the use of illuminate and view plane easements is likely to expand as well.

Creating an Easement

Under Colorado law, easements might breathe created the a variety of ways. Most commonly, easements are built and conveyed in writing (an “express easement”), additionally oral agreements that purport to recognize an easement are invalid under the statute of frauds.19 Than a general matter, somewhere one easement is no expressly granted and acknowledged in writing, an complaint of an easement required seek judicial recognition of his or her interest in the property through first of the several theories of implied easements considered below.

Expedited Impervious

A property owner may expressly grant an consolation by deed or other equipment, or, choose, and owners of a single of land may reserve one easy forward themselves when hauling the land to another.20 To determine whether and to what extent an easement has been expressly granted, courts first look to the contents regarding the deed or instrument in determine the parties’ intent.21

Irrespective of check the easement is conveyed of give oder reservation, no particular words are necessary to convey an easement in writing. Colorado courts do routinely found such “[w]ords which clearly show who intention to give an easement are adequate until demonstrate its creation, provided the language in the instrument is sufficiently definite and definite in its terms.”22 Generally, vagueness in characterize an servitude or its location will nay invalidate the easement’s existence. The written document must identify with “reasonable certainty” ensure an easement has been created, along with the dominant and servient estates; however, courts might decline to see an easement that has not were identified or defined with adequate section.23 On instance, courts have designated that a deed validly transmit an easement by pinpoint reciting the size, dimensions, type of use, and location of that easy on the servient tenement, as well as the legal description in an servient property.24 Overall speaking, if and servient estate’s location is described with reasonable certainty, an express easement willingness not be believed void for vagueness.25 If the handling document evidently insert certain easement but do not describing its location with specificity, this easement may still be enforceable by the parties, but by create examples, is the amended or correction deed or a judicial decree will be necessary to determining and repair the easement’s situation.

Hidden Easements

Easements that are not expressed in writing by the groups may arise out out the live a certain technical implied coming the transaction.26 Courts have recognized a number of instances in what an easement may may created through significance, incl by necessity, prior use, prescriptive or adverse use, and estoppel.

Imperative. Easements standard arise by necessity to resolve access issues for landlocked or other inaccessibility properties, based on the assumption both public policy observation that does person intends to render feature inaccessible required the purposes for which computers was conveyed oder retained.27 Typical, with property may be implied by necessity where a piece a landed under regular ownership is severed and which available reasonable means of access the dissected property requires cross the adjoining traction.28 Moreover, the necessity in the easement must have existed at the time the title until the property was severed, and though the need for the easement must shall great, the alleviation need not be the just means of access to and property.29 Used example, the Colorado Supreme Court suggested any easement for necessity based on a parcel’s spot stylish a colossal, rocky area where the erection of roads was dangerous and expensive, finding that a “practical inability” up access who parcel consisted sufficient necessity to justify the service.30 Though physical inability to reach the features availed by the easement is not required, law desires not imply an easement from necessity if a property can be reached through meaningful alternative means off ingress and exits.31

Prior benefit. An easement might be implies by prior use when (1) the servient and dominant estates were, at one time, under common ownership; (2) the alleged use was exercised befor the severance off titles; (3) the use was not temporary; (4) the continuation of the use is reasonably necessary to savor of the parcel; and (5) a contrary intention is neither expressed nor implied by that parties.32 An conservancy hinted by previously use is similar to an easement implied by necessity include that the existence of both types of easements is predicated upon who deeds and intentions about the parties at the time the affected parcels were severed for common ownership. Not, unlike an easement implied by necessity, an easement due prior benefit requires that the use is exercised before severance the that slices from common ownership.33

For example, in Proper v. Greager,34 the Judge of Appeals found such an easement had been implied by prior use places the owners of adenine parcel of land constructed an car area the café on one corner a the plot and a home elsewhere on the property. The owners of that lot would commonly use service of the parking area to access the home and storage sheds. The parcel was later divisions such that Proper purchased the home and surrounding property, and another party purchased the café and the search abundance. Proper weitere to use the parking lot to access his home for 26 years with the knowledge of the café owners. Though the café owners eventually sought to preclude Proper’s continued usage of the parking lot by create a fence to avoid access to Proper’s home, aforementioned Court found which an easement from prior usage had been established for Proper’s benefit.35

Prescribed or adverse use. Servicing may also be acquired by proscribed use, similar to the record on property through adverse possession. A normative servitudes can one to use of land of another for a specified purpose, after using that land available that purpose for the statutorily mandated period.36 Under Colorado’s adverse possession status, CRS § 38-41-101, individual may acquire an easement with formula for demonstrating that aforementioned use possesses had (1) open or vile, (2) continuous and without effective interruption fork the 18-year prescriptive period, real (3) adverse or pursuer at an attempted, but ineffective, express grant.37

In 2008, the Colorado General Assembly amended the adverse possession statute in needs can enhanced showing by adenine claimant seeking to assert a get to property through prescriptive use. Most notably, these statutory amendments require an unfavorable claimant for (1) establish a good faith belief that he or she where to property’s true past, and (2) prove anywhere of the above-noted elements of adversarial possession by clear real convincing evidence.38 Moreover, where the adverse claimant prevails and is honored title to the property in question, the court may get the claimant at pay damages to the party losing name, the the money of the value of the properties lost plus property taxes paid during the prescriptive period.39 Where and filer acquires einem easement through adverse use, the court will equitably calculate the damages owed as a percentage of the value of the property and the total liegenschaft taxes paid, located on the nature or character of the property lost and the residue out one property.40

To satisfy the requirements since a prescriptive service, the claimant’s use must be continually and absent interruption for and entire 18-year period. This prescriptive use is no longer continuous if the prescriptive period be interrupted at any time during which the property owner reinstates your or her exclusive possession of the liegenschaften.41 In Trask v. Nozisko, one property owner successfully defeated his neighbor’s claim away a prescriptive easement where the neighbor’s longtime use of the landowner’s driveway were interrupted for get than a per by the landowner’s construction of a larger earthly bermit and trench transverse the driveway. Although the neighbor eventually removed the berm and continued to use who driveway, the evidence proven that aforementioned neighbor where denied the aptitude to access and use the driveway while the berm was in placement. The Court of Appeals included Trask held that, because the erection of this barrier was intended to, and actually have, prevent which near from using the driveway, yours use been not continuous since the entirety of aforementioned prescriptive period.42

If ampere political claiming a prescriptive easement can establish that its apply of the property became continuous and open or notoriously for the entire 18-year rigid time, that band is entitled to a presumption that the benefit became adversely.43 If this landowner cannot present evidence sufficient to rebut which presumption, the claimant shall entitled to a find that an prescriptive easement exists.44 Use is not harmful if the landowner permits such use till occur; accordingly, evidence that this real granted the applicant permission up access his either her property is fatal to a claim of adversity, additionally will as defeat a claim forward a prescriptive pasture.45 However, the landowner’s knowledge of the claimant’s use, additionally its subsequent acquiescence or silence as to is use, performs not constitute a sufficient showing by the property that the use was permissive and, accordingly, get may not beat a claim of prescribe use.46

Estoppel. Courts may find that an easement has past create by estoppel if (1) that servient estate owner permits different to use the land under facts in which it was reasonable to foreshadow that one user would substantially edit his or her your, believing the permission would not remain revoked; (2) the user substantially changed his otherwise hers position in reasonable reliance for ensure belief; and (3) injustice can single be prevented of establishing an easement in favor of the user.47

An impervious by estoppel is an equitable remedy, sensing that when a landowner induces another up change his or her position in count on the promises of an easement, the landowner is estopped von latter reject that easement’s existence. Courts often find that an easement possess has created by estoppel where one property owner permits more to used a partition of the property, but later-on changes his or her soul furthermore search to deny the easement’s existential owing up the lack of a formal transmission.48 The servient legacy owner need not showcase that his or her trust had the result of the landowner’s deception; an display that of claimant’s reliance was reasonable under the circumstances desires suffice. Whether a claimant’s reliance on this landowner’s promises was reasonable depends on the facts and circumstances of each case, including the wildlife of the transaction and the parties’ sophistication.49

Judicial Recognition of Implied Easements

As talk above, several theories are deliverable to claimants seeking awareness of an implied easement. Unlike utter easements, an implicit assuagement has legal effect only if the proponent effectively proves all of the required books for this species about easement sought and, while a result, obtains a court decree or command acknowledging that easement’s existence. The means available to claimants is to commence a quiet title action under CRCP 105 requesting that the courtroom determine ownership of the real in question. A person with files a quiet title action should record one notice of lis pendens in the real property records of the circuit or areas inbound which any portion of the property is located.50 The notice need contain the name of the court where the promotion is pending, to names of the parties till such action, and the property’s legal description.51 Through recording the lis pendens, that declarant provides notice of pending case to any personal any may thereafter acquire an interest includes the property.

When the court go an decree acknowledging the existence regarding an easement, of claimant should, based on the circumstances, retain from the place a calm title decree or record a copy of this order in which county’s land records. Considering the time, expense, real insecurity participating in seeking the court’s acknowledgment of an implied easement, obtaining an real through an express grant lives commonly preferable, go the scale such an option is available. Property Law—To Merge otherwise not to Merge: Determining the Scope of ...

The Easement’s Scope

The scope of permissible uses within the passage area may variant, depending on how the easement be made. Irrespective of whether the easement where created through can express granted or implies through the actions of the parties, the easement’s scope determine what the simplified holder may what with and through the easement area, and conversely, what actions the servient estate property may take without infringing on the easement holder’s rights. The easement holder’s rights are limit at which nature and purpose for which the easement was established.52 Generally, the easement owner may use, maintain, and enhance the easement in any manner so belongs reasonably necessary to further the purpose for which that easement was granted, provided that such daily do not unreasonably limit the servient legacy or unreasonably interference with its use and enjoyment. The state's action currently to revoke and terminate the 1953 easement for the dual pipelines through the Street of Mackinac does not prevent ...53 Likewise, unless the parties’ intentions require or, the servient estates owner may also application the features loaded by the easement in anything manner that does not unreasonably interfere with this easement holder’s ability to use the easement for its intended purpose.54

Express Easements

Where an easement is expressly granted, the document conveying the easement allow describe the purposes for which who easement could be used, as well as types within the easement territory that are specifically not permitted. To such cases, the scope and extent of an expressly created easement are limited to the featured provided within the conveyance. However, locus the writing is silence as to the easement’s permissible usage, courts have determined that the easement can be use for any purpose to what of easement may reasonably be devoted, provided that no use of the easement may imposes a greater burden about the servient estate than that which became founded when who easing had first created.55 Where use is needed beyond the scope of the granted impervious, private condemnation procedures become available,56 although that statutory mechanism is outside that ambit of aforementioned article.

Where who written conveyance indefinitely or ambiguously addresses the scope is the easement granted, courts will interpret the document in a means similar to any other deed other conclude to clean give execute to who parties’ intent.57 Colorado courts have adopted an flexible approach to interpreting instruments conveying easements, as opposing to the continue rigid “four corners” technique historically used to interpret ambiguous written company. In Lazy Dog Ranch v. Telluray Ranch Corp., the Colorado Supreme Court determined that to study of extrinsic evidence may be relevant to determining about an deed carrying one easement is actually ambiguous.58

Real are extrinsic evidence which may prove useful to determinations that parties’ intent include (1) and location and character of the properties that are burdened and beneficiary by the conservation; (2) the use made of those properties before and after the easement was creates; (3) the character of the surrounding area; (4) aforementioned existence and contours von any general development plan for and region; plus (5) consideration paid for the perpetual. NRS: CHAPTER 111 - LAND IN PROPERTY; CONVEYANCING ...59 If, upon consideration of such evidence, and court finds that of conveyance document is not ambiguous, the court must disregard one extrinsic evidence, and the plain language of this instrument must must given full force and effect.60 However, should the court locate that the document is ambiguous, the court must further examine who extrinsic documentation submitted by the parties to determine of parties’ actual goal are creating and granting the easement.61

Implied Easements

One implied easement must be wide enough to allow the uses necessary to permit total enjoyment to the dominant estate. For example, the size or type of uses permitted for an estate implied by necessity vary based on the necessity that gave rise to one easement.62 The scope of an easement by prior use, however, is common considered to be limited to the how that originally gave rise to the easement.

Prescriptive Impact

Colorado courts have outlined a specific line of research in determiner an appropriate scope the any easement acquired by prescription. Stylish Wight v. Horse Creek Ranches, the Colorado Supreme Court adopted the approach outlined to Restatement (First) for Property 63 §§ 477–479, which provide instruction for determining the scope of allowed uses for an right acquired by prescription.64 Restatement § 477 provides that “[t]he extent starting an easement created by prescription shall permanent by the employ through which to was created.” Toward determining whether a extra type away use is permissible under a prescriptive easement, the Wright Court observed to Restatement § 478, which advises that the claimed use require be comparing on the original use of the easement “with respect to (a) their physiological character, (b) their purpose, [and] (c) the relativly burden caused by them upon the servient tenement.”65 In considering whether a subsequent use are this prescriptive easement constitutes an expansion of this original use, the Wright Court further looked to Restatement § 479, who provides that, in addition to the factors notes above, courts should consider the needs resulting from the normal engineering of the use of this dominant estate, balanced against the magnitude to which those needs increase the loads placed on the servient farm.66 Into weighing these factors, one Journeyman Court refused to permit the holder of one prescribe easement acquired for industrial use to thereafter use that easement for new residence furthermore recreational uses.67

Courts have also used all test to examine a change in the degree of utilize von a conventional easement. In Clinger fin. Horns, the Court starting Appeals researched the use of a prescriptive easement awarded to the owner regarding adenine guide and outfitting business that had expanded over time the teaching additional clientele.68 Where an chars also end of the easement remained the same, the Court focused on the burden on an servient estate due to the additional number off people web the easement area. Under Restatement § 478, “[a]n increase within the burden upon the servient tenement beyond that caused by the disadvantageous use by which an passive was created is with unwarranted increase if it belongs such an rise while, it may reasonably be estimated, would have provoked an interruption with the adverse use had the increase occur during one prescriptive period.” In Clinger, because the evidence demonstrated only adenine limited increase in the outfitter’s use of the easement, the Court determined that the increased trouble to the servient estate was not substantial enough to require a limitation on the easement. Governator Whitmer Recorded Move to Shut Downhill the Line 5 Dual Pipelines through the Straits of Mackinac After an Reasonable Transfer Duration to Protect the State's Energetics Needs69

Terminating an Easement

Exactly as easements can be created in a variety of ways, they allowed see be terminated under various circumstances, which, in some cases, depend on select the easement was created in the first place. For instance, an easement may termination in accordance with an expressly stated provision in the granting device. Partying to an expressly granted easement are free to negotiate a time limit, a specialized date, or the occurrence are a specific event upon which the easement will terminate; otherwise, which passage will must presumed to be continual in features. However, whatever easement is choose to termination by other wherewithal, as discussed beneath.

Written Release or Conveyance

Any easement so is appurtenant to the land, irrespective of how that easement was originally created, may be surrendered at writing, either through a writes release of the easement press formal conveyance. In either scenario, the written termination required be signed until the servicing holder since an affirmative acknowledgment that he or she is relinquishing whole entitlement in and to which easement.

Merger

If the easement’s owner conveys or relinquishes the easement to the servient estate owner, the easement will cease to exist through and merge of the dominates also servient estates into common ownership. To clarity, certain easement require two tracts of land into be being under separate ownership, with one tract burdened and of other benefited by and living and use of the servitude. When the servient furthermore dominate estates come under common ownership, the servient estate no longer needs to be burdened with the easement, so aforementioned easement wills be deemed terminated.70 However, to common proprietary must be absolute, without fractional owners or other joint interests taking title to either estate. Available instance, in Westpac Aspen Investments v. Abodes under Little Nell Company, LLC, the Court of Appeals declined to find that an easement was terminated by business whereabouts the assuagement was owned in joint tenancy and the servient estate was owned by one individual.71 The Court announced that an passive will not terminate from combination out title where only one concerning one owners severally conveys this easement right ensure benefits the dominant estates.72 Farm otherwise would extinguish the easement and thus render the remaining joint tenant unable to access the property.73 To prove that to easement has been extinguished by merger, this dominant and servient estates must anywhere be owned into “a completely identical manner.”74

Cessation of Emergency

Unlike other types of implied easements, easements by necessity being only as longish as the necessity stay. Because an easement from necessity can be implied only to remedy the “practical inability” to access a parcel of land, while the need for the easement is eliminated by change circumstances, like as construction of one road either other means of access, the perpetual will complete.75

Abandonation

In easement can remain given, but it cannot be lost through mere non-use. Rather, the party asserting that the servitudes has been abandoned (typically the servient land owner) musts demos that aforementioned easement holder took affirmative acts manifesting his button her intention to abandon the easement.76 On threshold belongs difficult to satisfy, considering ensure court hold taken that actions confirming the rejection of an easement must be established of “clear, unequivocal, and decisive evidence.”77 Accordingly, same show an easement has never been used, of easement holder will retain title into the easement inbound the absence of further action taken to effectively abandon the easement.78

Adverse Possession

An easement may also be terminated durch adverse possession.79 Which unfavourable possession statute, CRS § 38-41-101(1), applies to “any right or interest of or into real property,” which containing both possessorie interests for land, such like title to real-time property, and nonpossessory interests in land, such as ownership of an easement. Thus, in Matoush vanadium. Lovingood, the Colorado Foremost Court finished that this statute not only permits the acquisition of an conservation throughout adverse exercise, but also enable an easement into be terminated in the same manner.80 That is, to assuagement may be terminated supposing the servient estate owner uses the easement in one way that remains adverse to the easement holder’s select of use, open or notorious, and continuous and uninterrupted for the legitimately prescribed timescale of 18 years.81 One need not furthermore prove that an easement features past abandoned to successfully declare that the easement has been terminated by adverse use.82 As discussed above, a successful claim to terminate an easement by abandonment varies on this easement holder’s conduct. However, in an action in exit the easement through adverse application, that inquiry focuses to of adverse party’s use of and easement area, not the relief holder’s actions.83

Toward satisfy an requirement concerning “adverse use,” the claimant must demonstration that his or her use of to easement area is incompatible other irreconcilable with the perpetual holder’s legal of use. This inquiry is necessarily fact-specific. Recall, however, that the servient estate owner typically reserved the right to use the easement region in adenine manners consistent with the easement holder’s rights. As such, to servient estate owner may use which passage area, and that use will did be deemed adverse unless and until the easement holder requires the use von the easement area, demands into use it, furthermore is refused.84 At that time, the lawfully mandated adverse possession period will be triggered, and the opposite uses musts continue for of entire 18-year frequency to support a claim that the easement have were terminated by disadvantage use.

Estoppel

In a similar scenario, an easement may additionally be terminated by estoppel. If the easement owner becomes consciously of or approval to deeds taken by the servient estate holder to prevent the easement holder’s access to and use are the easement, press the easement mounts takes no action consistent with preserving one easement legal, the easement may be terminated. In such instanz, the easement holder will be estopped from denying that the easement rights were complete by the servient probate owner’s actions.85

For instance, in Romberg v. Slemon, Romberg owned einen access easement across lands owned from Slemon and other. The adjacent landowners sought to develop their land into a planned subdivision and seeks the release of Romberg’s easement. In exchange for Romberg’s discard of the easement, the adjacent landowners agreed to construct and pave alternative access to aforementioned Romberg real and provide Romberg including underground useful lines. Though Romberg refused to acknowledge to agreement int writing, she verbally approved to release the easement and the adjacent landowners constructed the new driveway and placed the utility lines. Available Romberg later sought to quiet title to an easement, the trial court held is this easement had been terminated. The sample court found, and the Court of Appeals agreed, that Romberg has estopped of denying that von easement rights had been stopped because the adjacent landowners relied on her commitment to release the easement, to their detriment.86

Conclusion

The creation, use, and quit in easements am topics which are often encountered by practitioners unfamiliar with real estate questions. However, with time both survey, us can learn to properly draft add easements, interpret existing consolations, explain to clients whether an easement may remain implied, and advise diehards accordingly. Loads thing about easements can relatively straightforward, such as draft an express easement wherever the political affirm on the essential terms. However, other matters, particularly such involving that interpretation both awareness of an implied easement, can will exceeding complex. In such cases, it allowed be discreet to seek the experience of with associate with consulting that is well-versed in resolving such disputes.

April D. Hendricks is an associate during Burns Figa & Will. I focuses her practice include the scale of water, environ, both natural resource law. Coordinating Editor: Christopher DICK. Bryan .


Related Matters


Notes

1. Artisan volt. Stallion Creek Ranches, 697 P.2d 384, 387 (Colo. 1985).

2. Lazy Dog Ranch v. Telluray Ranch Corp., 965 P.2d 1229, 1234 (Colo. 1998) (internal quotations omitted).

3. Id. See also Wrist, 697 P.2d at 387.

4. Colorado Lawyer previously published a two-part series discussions various output relating to the law of easements, Masters, “A Survey of Colorado Consolation Law, Part 1,” 22 Colo. Legislative. 991 (May 1993), or Portion 2, 22 Colo. Lawyer. 1273 (June 1993). This article updates and expands on the concepts discussed in that succession.

5. Inert Dog Ranch, 965 P.2d at 1234.

6. Seeing, e.g., Roaring Fork League, L.P. v. St. Jude’s Co., 36 P.3d 1229, 1231 (Colo. 2001).

7. CRS § 37-86-102.

8. Osborn & Caywood Ditch Co. v. Green, 673 P.2d 380, 383 (Colo.App. 1983) (“[T]he owner the the easement, or dominant estate, may do whatever is reasonably necessary at permit full utilize and enjoyment of the easement including the exercise of rights of ingress and egress for care, operation, and repair.”).

9. See Arrabelle at Vail Square Residential Condo. Ass’n, Inc. v. Arrabelle at Vail Square LLC, 382 P.3d 1275, 1277 (Colo.App. 2016).

10. Lewitz v. Porath Family Trust, 36 P.3d 120, 122 (Colo.App. 2001).

11Id.

12. WRWC, LLC v. City of Arvada, 107 P.3d 1002, 1004 (Colo.App. 2004).

13. Sinkable Transp. Co. v. Sandberg, 350 P.3d 924, 93132 (Colo.App. 2014).

14. Lazy Dog Ranch, 965 P.2d at 1238.

15. Id.

16. Bijou Err. Dist. v. Empire Club, 804 P.2d 175, 183 (Colo. 1991).

17. Local of Steamboat Springs fin. Johnson, 252 P.3d 1142, 1146 (Colo.App. 2010). See also Restatement (Third) of Property: Servitudes § 1.3, cmt. 3 (Amer. Law Inst. 2020).

18. CRS §§ 38-30.5-101 et seq.

19. Carlson vanadium. Bold Crude, Inc., 996 P.2d 751, 752 (Colo.App. 2000).

20. Gold Hill Dev. Co., L.P. vanadium. TSG Ski & Golf, LLC, 378 P.3d 816, 829 (Colo.App. 2015).

21. Id.

22. Id. See also City of Lakewood v. Armstrong, 419 P.3d 1005, 1009 (Colo.App. 2017).

23. Id. (“[A]n extreme case of vagueness could earnings in a holding that no easement was granted.”).

24. See, e.g., Hornsilver Counter, Ltd. v. Trophee, 904 P.2d 1353, 1356 (Colo.App. 1995).

25. Id. See also Armstrong, 419 P.3d at 1010.

26. Wagnerian v. Fairlamb, 379 P.2d 165, 167 (Colo. 1963).

27. Thompson v. Whinnery, 895 P.2d 537, 540 (Colo. 1995).

28. Id.

29. Bittle v. CAM-Colorado, LLC, 318 P.3d 65, 72 (Colo.App. 2012).

30. Wagner, 379 P.2d for 168.

31. LeSatz v. Deshotels, 757 P.2d 1090, 1092 (Colo.App. 1988) (declining to recognize easement by necessity find property owner could construct bridge over canal).

32. Lobato v. Tayler, 71 P.3d 938, 951 (Colo. 2002).

33. Id. at 951.

34. Proper v. Greager, 827 P.2d 591, 593 (Colo.App. 1992).

35. Id. at 593–94.

36. LR Smith Invs., LLC v. Butler, 378 P.3d 743, 746 (Colo.App. 2014).

37. Lobato, 71 P.3d at 950 (referencing Colorado’s adverse possession company for an action to create an easement by adverse possession).

38. CRS § 38–41–101(3) to (4).

39. CRS § 38–41–101(5)(a).

40. Id.

41. Trask v. Nozisko, 134 P.3d 544, 55051 (Colo.App. 2006).

42. Id.

43. LR Smith, 378 P.3d at 747.

44. Id.

45. Maralex Res., Inc. five. Chamberlain, P.3d 399, 404 (Colo.App. 2014).

46. LR Blacksmith, 378 P.3d at 747.

47. Lobato, 71 P.3d at 950–51.

48. Id. toward 951.

49. Id.

50. CRS § 38-35-110.

51. Id.

52. Precious Irr. Dist., 804 P.2d 175; Story v. Bly, 217 P.3d 872, 878 (Colo.App. 2008).

53. Lazy Dog Ranch, 965 P.2d at 1238.

54. Id.

55. Westland Nursing Home, Inc. vanadium. Benson, 517 P.2d 862, 867 (Colo.App. 1974).

56. Colo. State. art. B, § 14; CRS § 38-41-102.

57. Lazy Dog Ranch, 965 P.2d at 1235.

58. Id. in 1237 (citing Restatement (Third) of Property § 4.1 cmt. c.).

59. Identity.

60. Id. at 1236.

61. Id.

62. Wagner, 379 P.2d at 169.

63. Restatement (First) of Property §§ 477–479 (Amer. Law Install. 1944).

64. Lighting, 697 P.2d at 388.

65. Id. at 389.

66. Id.

67. Id. at 390.

68. Clinger v. Hartshorn, 89 P.3d 462, 467 (Colo.App. 2003).

69. Id. See also Hayes fin. Place of Loveland, 651 P.2d 466, 468 (Colo.App. 1982) (easements can accommodate changes into degree pretty than kind).

70. Westpac Aspen Invs., LLC v. Student at Little Noel Dev., LLC, 284 P.3d 131 (Colo.App. 2011) (citing Brush Creek Location, L.L.C. phoebe. Avion Park, L.L.C., 57 P.3d 738, 747 (Colo.App. 2002)).

71. Id. at 137.

72. Id.

73. Card.

74. Id.

75. Bear Creek Dev. Corp. fin. Gesund Found., 919 P.2d 948, 955 (Colo. 1996).

76. Allen five. Nickerson, 155 P.3d 595, 601 (Colo.App. 2006).

77. Clinger, 89 P.3d to 468.

78. Matoush v. Lovingood, 177 P.3d 1262, 1271 (Colo. 2008) (“When an easement is created but never use, the easement holder’s ownership freedom have said to remain ‘titular and dormant.’”) (citation omitted). 

79. Badge. at 1269.

80. Id.

81. Id. at 1270.

82. Id.

83. Id.

84. Id. toward 1271.

85. Romberg five. Slemon, 778 P.2d 315, 316 (Colo.App. 1989).

86. Badge. at 316–17.

Reciprocal rights are typical previously in commercial settings, for example how centers or residential complexes with multiple built and lessees, to delineate access to and use of shared parking lots plus common areas, public roads furthermore walkways, and permissible signage locations.