Part 1
Easements
Chapter
1 Introduction 3-13
Easement and servitude................................................................. 3
Easement defined............................................................................ 4
Background of Easements Act 1882 in India............................ 5
Scope and applicability of the Act............................................... 8
Savings............................................................................................ 10
Construction of certain references to Act XV of 1877
and Act IX of 1871 (s. 3)........................................................... 11
Cognate Acts dealing with easement in India.......................... 11
Scheme of the Act......................................................................... 13
2 Of Easements Generally ...................................................... ....... 14-95
Easement—definition of.............................................................. 14
Dominant tenement and servient tenement............................. 15
Easement under American law................................................... 15
Easement—not proprietary right................................................ 16
Claim of easementary right......................................................... 17
Characteristic feature of an easement....................................... 17
Essential characteristics................................................................ 18
Existence of a dominant and a servient tenement.................. 19
Meaning of “appurtenant”.......................................................... 20
Dominant tenement................................................................ 20
Servient tenement.................................................................... 21
Easement to accommodate dominant tenement.................... 21
Acquisition of right in easement.................................................. 22
No acquisition of easementary right.......................................... 23
Easement and co-ownership........................................................ 25
Profit a prendre............................................................................... 26
Dominant and servient owners to be different persons.......... 27
Co-owners....................................................................................... 28
Co-ownership and partnership.................................................... 30
Common passage.................................................................... 30
Common well........................................................................... 31
Common channel.................................................................... 33
Party wall................................................................................... 36
Co-parcenary property........................................................... 40
Easement to be capable of forming
subject-matter of grant............................................................... 42
Essential qualities of easement................................................... 44
Classification of easement........................................................... 44
Positive easement and negative easement................................ 44
Continuous and non-continuous (or discontinuous)
easements...................................................................................... 46
Apparent and non-apparent easements.................................... 46
Easement of necessity.................................................................. 46
Classification of easements according to duration................. 47
Prescriptive easement.................................................................... 48
Legal easement and equitable easement.................................. 48
Equitable easements..................................................................... 48
Easements and incidents of ownership...................................... 49
Right to build............................................................................ 51
Right to pollution-free passage of air................................... 52
Right to comfortable living.................................................... 52
Right to light and air................................................................ 54
Right to support........................................................................ 56
Right to pollution-free water.................................................. 59
Right to collect and dispose of surface and
percolating water.................................................................... 60
Right to flow of natural stream............................................. 62
Right to flow of water in undefined channels..................... 66
Right to use water of pond..................................................... 69
Rights of a riparian owner to use water............................... 69
Rights and obligations as between ryots in India and
State in matter of supply of water for irrigation............... 78
Repair or alteration of watercourses.......................................... 86
Navigation....................................................................................... 87
Distinction between easement and other rights........................ 87
Easement and ownership....................................................... 87
Easement and licence............................................................. 87
Easement and local customary rights.................................. 88
Easement and profit a prendre.............................................. 89
Easement and way leave....................................................... 90
Easement and natural rights.................................................. 90
Easement and public rights.................................................... 90
Easement and restrictive covenant...................................... 91
Concept of profit a prendre and its applicability
under the Act................................................................................ 92
Profit a prendre......................................................................... 92
Profit a prendre appurtenant................................................. 93
Profit a prendre in gross.......................................................... 93
Classification of profits a prendre........................................ 93
Extinguishment of profits a prendre..................................... 93
Indian law on profit a prendre............................................... 94
3 Imposition, Acquisition and Transfer of Easements..................................................... .. 96-211
A. Imposition
Imposition of easements.............................................................. 96
‘Imposed’—meaning of......................................................... 97
Constructive grant by acquiescence..................................... 97
Competent grantors/grantees................................................ 98
Creation of easement.................................................................... 99
Further easements........................................................................ 102
Imposition by limited owner...................................................... 103
B. Acquisition
Acquisition of easement ............................................................ 104
Some illustrative cases ............................................................. 106
Trespasser and easement..................................................... 106
Right of way under express terms....................................... 106
Right of way on transfer of tenement................................ 107
Use of passage........................................................................ 107
Easement of necessity.......................................................... 107
Easements of necessity and quasi-easements........................ 107
Sweepers and scavengers..................................................... 111
Ways acquired by prescription in American law.............. 115
3 Imposition, Acquisition and Transfer
of Easements—continued
Right of parking........................................................................... 115
Quasi-easements.................................................................... 115
Example of quasi easement................................................ 127
Artificial water course........................................................... 128
Acquisition by prescription ...................................................... 128
General..................................................................................... 128
Custom and prescription..................................................... 128
Positive and negative prescription...................................... 129
Presumption of prescription........................................... 129
Prescription and adverse possession................................... 130
Section 4 vis-a-vis s. 15 of the Act...................................... 136
When property as Government property........................... 155
Persons claiming right of easement.................................... 157
Rule for acquisition of such easements—
prescriptive rights....................................................................... 157
Rule relating to right to access and use of light or air...... 157
Infringement of right to light................................................ 159
Rule relating to right of support........................................... 160
Rule relating to right of way................................................. 162
Location of ways of necessity................................................... 171
Rule relating to other easements......................................... 171
Exceptions .................................................................................... 182
Nature of right on burial and cremation ground.................... 186
Acquisition by lost modern grant.............................................. 188
Customary easement.................................................................. 190
Custom ......................................................................................... 190
Local custom................................................................................ 190
Right of privacy........................................................................... 196
Right to other customary easement......................................... 203
Dedication to public.................................................................... 207
Pleading and proof ............................................................... 207
C. Transfer or Devolution or Disposition of Dominant Tenement
Disposition of easement............................................................. 211
4 Incidents of Easements ................................................... 212-246
General rule................................................................................... 212
Statutory incidents—use must be connected with
enjoyment................................................................................... 213
Mode of employment and right to alter it............................... 215
Right to enjoy ancillary or accessory rights............................. 221
Liability for expenses necessary for
preservation of easement......................................................... 225
4 Incidents of Easements—continued
Liability for damage for want of repair................................... 226
Servient owner’s obligations....................................................... 226
Extent of easements.................................................................... 229
Easement of necessity.......................................................... 229
Other easements..................................................................... 230
Persons entitled to use right of way........................................... 234
Liability and right to repair way................................................ 234
Public highway....................................................................... 235
Right to light or air acquired by grant................................. 238
Prescriptive right to light or air............................................. 238
