Humber/Ontario Real Estate Course 4 Exam Practice

What is an accurate description of an easement?

1. It is registered on title and always runs with the land.

2. It grants benefit to the dominant tenement over the servient tenement.

3. It is a type of restrictive covenant.

4. It enables use of a property without granting ownership.

5. It serves only public utility purposes.

6. It is granted by the municipal government.

The correct answer is: It grants benefit to the dominant tenement over the servient tenement.

The selection of the statement that describes an easement is compelling and highlights key characteristics of how easements function in real estate. An easement indeed grants a benefit to the dominant tenement, the property benefiting from the easement, over the servient tenement, the property that is burdened by it. This reflects the relational aspect of easements, where one property has certain rights to use another property in a specified manner. Other statements, while they touch on elements related to easements, do not fully capture their nature or scope. For example, while easements are registered on title and may run with the land, this doesn't specifically encompass the core purpose and interaction of the dominant and servient tenements. Easements are not strictly restrictive covenants; they allow specific uses rather than outright restrictions on property use. Although easements can serve public utility purposes, they are not limited to that; they can also be for private matters, like access or drainage. Municipal governments can sometimes be involved in granting easements, especially for public utilities, but easements can also be privately established between individuals or entities without municipal involvement. Thus, the choice underscores the essential principle of easement relationships and their importance in land use and property rights.