1015_Easement, nature and characteristics and extinction.ppt

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1. Easements-nature,
characteristics and extinction

2. The Easement Act, 1882
•6 Chapters, divided into 64 sections.
•1-Preliminary
•2-Easements in General.
•3-The imposition, acquisition and transfer.
•4-The incidents of Easements.
•5-The disturbance of Easements
•6-The extinction, suspension and revival of
easement.
•7-Licenses.

3. •TherightofEasementcameintobeing
sincethedawnofcivilization.Itoriginated
whenmankindwasleftwithwildlife,and
establishedorganizedsocietyandstarted
livingingroups.Whenrightofpossessof
apersonwasrecognizedatthatsame
time,itwasalsorecognizedthatnoone
shouldusehispropertyinawaysoasto
affectothersinadverseway.Rights
relatingeasementshavebeeninpractice
inIndiasinceancienttimes.

4. •Sofarasstatutoryrecognitionof
easementaryrightisconcerned,ithas
beenrecognizedunderIndianEasements
Act,1882.TheActisneitherexhaustive
norprohibitory.TheActhasbeenframed
bymixingmanyenactmentsforexample,
theLimitationAct,CodeofCivil
Procedure,TransferofPropertyAct,
SpecificReliefAct,LandAcquisitionAct
andIndianPenalCodeetc.

5. Definition of Easement
•AccordingtoSalmond,‘Easementisthat
legalservientwhichcanbeexercisedon
someotherpieceoflandforthebenefitof
apieceofland’.
•Peacock,‘Easementissuchaprivilege
withoutprofitwhichanownerofdominant
heritagereceivesfromtheownerofthe
landduetowhichownerofthatproperty
cannotexercisehiscompleterightsor
doesnothingfortheadvantageofearlier
occupier.

6. •InV.Prabhuv.MPrabhuAIR1993Ker.
68itwasheldthateasementissucha
rightwhichprovidesindependentand
uninterrupteduseofpropertytotheowner.
Atthesametimeheisunderanobligation
thathewillnotcreateanyobstructionin
thelandofhisneighbour.
•Conclusion:Easementisarightandit
mustrelatetodoingofanactuponorin
respectofcertainlandwhichisnothis
own.

7. Statutory Definition of Easement
•Section 4: An easement is a right
–Which the owner or
–Occupier of certain land possesses, as such,
–For the beneficial enjoyment of that land,
–To do and continue to do something, or
–To prevent and continue to prevent something
being done,
–In or upon, or
–In respect of certain other land not of his own.

8. Dominant and servient heritages
and owners
•Thelandforthebeneficialenjoymentof
whichtherightexistsiscalledthe
dominantheritageandtheowneror
occupierthereofiscalledthedominant
owner;
Thelandonwhichtheliabilityisimposed
iscalledtheservientheritage,andthe
owneroroccupierthereoftheservient
owner.

9. Explanation
•Thewordlandusedinthefirstandsecond
clausesofsection,includesthingspermanent
attachedtotheearth,theexpression‘beneficial
enjoymentincludesalso‘possibleconvenient,
remote’advantage,andevenamereamenity;
andtheexpression‘todosomethingincludes
removalandappropriationbythedominant
ownerforthebeneficialenjoymentofthe
dominantheritage,oranypartofthesoilofthe
servantheritage,oranythinggrowingor
subsistingthereon.

10. Essentials
•1.DominantandServientHeritage:
•2.DominantandServientHeritage:InVenkateshwar
SwamiyyarDebanathamv.B.KanakLaxmiAIR1976AP250:
therightofownershipisdifferentfromrightofeasement.
Easementceasestobeexactlyatthesametimewhen
ownershipofboththeheritagesvestsinoneperson.
•3.Itisanincorporealright:
•4.Itisimposedoncorporealproperty:
•5.Useofeasementforthebeneficialuseoftheproperty:
•6.Neweasementsmaybecreated:
•7.Easementsmaybepositiveornegative
•8.Easementisarightinrem.

11. Kinds of Easements
•Section5:Continuousanddiscontinuous,
apparentandnonapparenteasements-
Easements areeithercontinuousor
discontinuous,apparentornonapparent.
–Acontinuouseasementisonewhoseenjoymentis,or
maybecontinuedwithouttheactofman.
–Adiscontinuouseasementisonethatneedstheactof
itsenjoyment.
–Anapparenteasementisonetheexistenceofwhichis
shownbysomepermanentsignwhich,uponcareful
inspectionbyacompetentperson,wouldbevisibleto
him.
–Anonapparenteasementisonethathasnosuch
signs.

12. Illustrations
•1.ArightisannexedtoB’shousetoreceive
lightbythewindowswithoutobstructionbyhis
neighbourA.Thisisacontinuouseasement.
•2.ArightofwayisannexedtoA’shouseover
B’sland.Thisisadiscontinuouseasement.
•3.RightannexedtoA’slandtoleadwater
acrossB’slandbyanaqueductandtodrawoff
waterthencebyadrain.ThisisApparent
Easement.
•4.ArightannexedtoA’shousetopreventB
frombuildingonhisownland.Thisisanon
apparenteasement.

13. Kinds of Easements on the basis of
duration: section 6
•1.PermanentEasement:Sucheasementsare
concernedwitheasementswhichareofpermanent
nature.Itisthegeneralruleofeasementtobe
permanent.
•2.LimitedEasement:Limitedeasementsarealso
knownastemporaryeasement.Sucheasements
aremeantforalimitedeasement.Allsortsof
easementscanbeputunderarestrictionthough
theymighthavebeencreatedforwhatever
reasons.
•3.ConditionalEasement:Sucheasementswhose
fulfilmentdependsuponcertainconditions.

14. Imposition, Acquisition and
Transfer of Easements
•Section8:
•Whomayimposeeasement:Aneasement
maybeimposedbyanyoneinthe
circumstances,andtotheextent,inandto
whichhemaytransferhisinterestinthe
heritageonwhichtheliabilityistobe
imposed.
•Impositionmeanscreationofrights
relatingtoeasementonthatlandofhisby
theowneroroccupierofanylandon
whichthoserightsaretobeexercised.

15. Creation of Easement
•Easementcanbecreatedthroughsections8,9,10and11ofthe
Act.
ByGrant:Grantmaybeinfourways:
–ExpressGrant:Anyspecificformorlanguageisnotnecessarytogive
grant.Intentionofgivinggrantshouldbeexpressedclearly,itcanbe
givenorallyorinwriting.Itcanbeimposedbyservientowner,lessoror
pledgor.
–ByImplication:intheabsenceofexpresseasement,easementsare
limited.Suchgrantmeansanypersonshallnotdishonourhisowngrant.
–Byconstruction:Grantofeasementcanbeinferredfromthe‘actor
omission’oftheparties.
–Bypresumption:Incase,servientownerallowsthedominantownerto
usepropertycontinuouslyformanyyears,itgivebirthtothepresumption
ofeasement.
Byprescription:Section15&16:Whereapropertyisbeingenjoyedfora
longperiodwithoutanyinterference,easementisdeemedtobecreated
byprescriptiononthebasisofomittedgrant.
Bycustom:Section18-Aneasementmaybeacquiredinvirtueofalocal
custom.Sucheasementsarecalledcustomaryeasements.

16. Essentials for Easement by
Prescription
•1.The said right has been used.
•2. Use must be without the consent of anyone.
•3. Use must have been as an easement.
•4. Use must have been peacefully.
•5. Must have been done continuously for 20
years.
•6. Must have been done without any hindrance
or obstruction.
•7. Enjoyment must have been done expressly,
•8. Must have been done as a right.

17. Extinction, suspension and revival
•Section37:Extinctionbydissolutionofrightof
servientowner:When,fromacausewhichpreceded
theimpositionofaneasement,thepersonbywhomit
wasimposedceasestohaveanyrightintheservient
heritage,theeasementisextinguished.
•Section38:Extinctionbyrelease:Aneasementis
extinguishedwhenthedominantownerreleasesit,
expresslyorimpliedly,totheservientowner.
•Suchreleasecanbemadeonlyinthecircumstances
andtotheextentinandtowhichthedominantowner
canalienatethedominantheritage.
•Aneasementmaybereleasedastopartonlyofthe
servientheritage.

18. •Section39:Extinctionbyrevocation:Aneasement
isextinguishedwhentheservientowner,inexerciseof
apowerreservedinthisbehalfrevokestheeasement.
•Section40:Extinctionbyexpirationoflimited
periodorhappeningofdissolvingcondition:An
easementisextinguishedwhereithasbeenimposed
foralimitedperiod,oracquiredonconditionthatis
shallbecomevoidontheperformanceornon
performanceofaspecifiedact,andtheperiodexpires
ortheconditionisfulfilled.
•Section41:Extinctiononterminationofnecessity:
Aneasementofnecessityisextinguishedwhenthe
necessitycomestoanend.

19. •Section42:Extinctionofuselesseasement:
Aneasementisextinguishedwhenitbecomes
incapableofbeingatanytimeandunderany
circumstancesbeneficialtothedominantowner.
•Section43:Extinctionbypermanentchange
indominantheritage:Whenworkofpermanent
naturehasbeendoneondominantheritage.
Thissectionappliesagainsttheownerof
dominantheritageandinfavourofservient
ownertothoseplaceswherepermanentchange
hasbeenmadeinthedominantheritage.

20. •Section44:Extinctiononpermanent
alterationofservientheritagebysuperior
forces:Aneasementisextinguishedwhere
theservientheritageisbysuperiorforceso
permanentlyalteredthatthedominant
ownerscannolongerenjoysucheasement.
•Section45:Extinctionbydestructionof
eitherheritage:Aneasementisextinguished
wheneitherthedominantortheservient
heritageiscompletelydestroyed.
•Section46:Extinctionbyunityofownership.

21. •Section47:Extinctionbynonenjoyment:
Acontinuouseasementisextinguishment
whenittotallyceasestobeenjoyedas
suchforanunbrokenperiodof20years.
•Section48:Extinctionofaccessoryrights:
Incaseofextinctionofeasement,the
rightsaccessorytheretoarealso
extinguished.

22. •Section49:SuspensionofEasement:An
easementissuspendedwhenthe
dominantownerbecomesentitledto
possessionoftheservientheritagefora
limitedinteresttherein,orwhenthe
servientownerbecomesentitledto
possessionofthedominantheritagefora
limitedinteresttherein.

23. •Section50:Servientownernotentitledtorequire
continuance:Theservientownerhasnotrightto
requirethataneasementtobecontinued;and,
notwithstandingprovisionsofsection26,heisnot
entitledtocompensationfordamagedcausedto
theservientheritageinconsequenceofthe
extinguishmentorsuspensionoftheeasement,if
thedominantownerhasgiventotheservient
ownersuchnoticeaswillenablehim,without
unreasonableexpense,toprotecttheservient
heritagefromsuchdamage.
•Compensation:Incaseofnonotice,servient
ownerisentitledtocompensationfordamage.

24. Revival of easements
•Section51:Aneasementrevives:
–Whenpropertydestroyedreestablishesbefore
theendof20yrsduetoaccumulationofriver
soil.
–Whenpropertydestroyedisaservientheritage
andbeforecompletionof20yrsthathousehas
beenreconstructedatthesameplace;
–Whenheritagedestroyedisadominanthouse
andbeforethecompletionof20yrs,Ihasbeen
soconstructedatthesameplacethatitdoesnot
imposemoreburdenonservientheritage.

25. •Section51furthersaysthateasementextincted
undersection46revivesandreinforcedwhen
thatgrantorwillhasbeencancelledbytheorder
ofthecourtbywhichboththepropertieshave
vestedinoneperson.
•Ifthereasonofextinctionundersection47that
isnonenjoymentofeasementhasbeen
removedbeforetheexpiryof20yrs,itisrevived.