The Truth About Sewer Lines And The Easement

If you’re considering the purchase of a home with an easement over the sewer lines, make sure you find out exactly what you’re getting into. Very simply, an easement is a legal right for someone other than the homeowner to use a part of the property for a specific use. This someone else might be your neighbor or it might be the government.

A common easement occurs when utility lines and sewer lines run along your property line or perhaps your backyard. If it’s a gas, electric, or telephone line along your property, you might see frequent trips from repair trucks to your property. A more disruptive situation might occur when you have sewer lines running through your backyard that require repair. You might have to have your lawn or pavement ripped up in order to facilitate the process.

Many easements exist for an unspecified period of time and pass down from one owner to the next. Occasionally, an easement exists for a specific duration and may be renegotiated or may expire. So before you sign on the dotted line, consider any existing sewer lines and easements which affect your property line.