Another example of an easement is the case of Vassalboro Maine, where the town is getting easements for school bus turnarounds on private property. The town has more than 12 of them, for which owners have given permission, but the town wants legal rights, so easements are the way they shall go. This is an easement that a county government is getting in order to make things more legal and protect themselves from possible legal action.
Easements are created by a will, deed, or implication. What is an implication? If you split your property into two lots, and the only way to access the second lot is by driving across the first one that creates an easement by implication. Another way to create an easement would be by getting a special easement called a "prescriptive easement." That is when your neighbor has been using your property to access his land for a long time. He may be able to get an easement on your property whether or not you want him to. They can also be negative. Instead of granting someone a right to use your property, they can restrict you from, say, blocking your neighbor's view of the lake.
Easements are recorded at the county courthouse, but they may be scattered among various plats, deed books, and mortgage books. The best way to find out about them is through a professional title search, which probably happened when you bought your house if you have a mortgage on it. When a document grants an easement to a particular person, the restriction may cease when he or she dies or sells the property. But if it's granted to someone and "his heirs and assigns," it's probably in effect no matter who owns the property. Unless and until the easement expires, your obligation is to keep from interfering with that right.
Another type of a property right is called a license. A license is almost exactly like an easement, except that it binds only the person who gives it, whereas and easement binds everyone who owns the property.
