# Easement

An easement lets someone use part of another owner's land for a set purpose, such as a utility line or drainage. Also called utility easement or access easement.

Data as of Oct 11, 2026. Page: https://boardwalkai.com/glossary/easement/

## What it is

An easement lets a utility, a neighbor, or the public use a strip of land for pipes, power lines, drainage, or access, while the owner keeps title. Most are recorded with the county and stay with the land.

## What it tells you

Easement items often come with a new subdivision, utility extension, or road project, and they name the land involved. Releasing an easement can mean a site is being cleared for a building that would sit over it.

## How it moves through a city or county

1. New easements are usually drawn on a plat or granted in a recorded document.
2. Cities accept public easements, often as an item on a council agenda.
3. An owner can ask to release an easement that is no longer needed.
4. Releasing a public easement usually needs city approval and a recorded document.

How easements are created and released follows state property law and local rules. Private easements between neighbors may never reach a public agenda.

Rules vary by state, county, and city. These pages describe common practice, not legal advice.

## Recent easement filings

From public filings in New Jersey, Ohio, and Oregon.

| Project | Location | Developer | Type | Size | Stage | Latest meeting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4-Lot Residential Subdivision on 0.46 Acres | Salem, OR | Villalobos Real Estate | Single-family | 4 units · 0.46 acres | Seeking approval | Sep 15, 2026 |
| 500-Unit Mixed-Use Development at 189 Phillip Street | Jersey City, NJ | AR Scitech LLC | Homes and businesses | 500 units | Approved | Apr 12, 2026 |
| LUC-Corduroy Road Bridge Project Easements | Oregon, OH | City of Toledo | Bridges | 0.08 acres | In design | Oct 27, 2025 |

Samples show projects filed by companies or public bodies.

## Find it on Boardwalk

Search Boardwalk for "easement" to find grants and releases tied to projects. [Start free trial](https://boardwalkai.com/auth/signup/)

## Related terms

- [Right-of-way vacation](https://boardwalkai.com/glossary/right-of-way-vacation/): A right-of-way vacation is when a city or county gives up a street, alley, or easement it no longer needs.
- [Plat](https://boardwalkai.com/glossary/plat/): A plat is a surveyed map showing how land is divided into lots, streets, and easements, recorded with the county once approved.
- [Setback](https://boardwalkai.com/glossary/setback/): A setback is the minimum distance a building must sit from a property line, street, or other feature under the zoning code.

## Common questions

### Can you build on an easement?

Buildings usually can't go where they would block an easement's purpose, such as over a sewer line, though fences or paving may be allowed. The recorded easement and local rules decide.

### What is the difference between an easement and a right-of-way?

A right-of-way is land used for a road, path, or utility corridor. Some rights-of-way are owned outright by the public; others are easements over private land.

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## How to cite

Source: Boardwalk, "Easement", boardwalkai.com/glossary/easement/, data as of Oct 11, 2026.

How we count: https://boardwalkai.com/coverage/#how-we-count