Appurtenant easement
An easement that benefits a neighboring parcel rather than a person or company.
An appurtenant easement links two parcels: one is burdened (the servient estate) and one is benefited (the dominant estate). A shared driveway that lets the rear lot reach the street is the classic example.
Because the right belongs to the land and not to a person, it passes automatically to the next owner of the benefited parcel. Selling either property does not end it.
Why it matters when you buy
If your lot is the burdened one, a neighbor has a permanent right to cross it — and you cannot revoke that right by selling.
Related terms
General educational reference only. Prescription periods and their exceptions change, and several states set the period by case law rather than by statute. Read the linked official code and consult a licensed attorney in that state before relying on any of it.
Know your easements before you close
Upload your title commitment and get a plain-English easement audit in minutes.