1. What Is an
Easement?
By Carmen Arruda

2. Carmen Arruda: What Is an
Easement?
Real estate executive Carmen Arruda currently serves as
assistant vice president and regional account manager
at Fidelity National Title Group’s Seattle/Bellevue
office. She has experience working with easements.

3. Carmen Arruda: What Is an
Easement?
Property easements establish the right of one person to
use the real property of another. They come in two
basic types: gross and appurtenant. Appurtenant
easements exist to benefit adjoining lands regardless
of owner, while gross easements are held by individuals
rather than to benefit adjoining lands. Easements can
be further defined as either affirmative, meaning that
they allow the easement holder to do something, or
negative, meaning that they prevent an estate from
doing something.

4. Carmen Arruda: What Is an
Easement?
Today, easements are most commonly used to establish
right of way through an area. For instance, a property
might come with an easement that allows others to reach
a yard, play area, or pond by walking over it.
Easements are also used to allow property excavation or
to create rights to artificial waterways.