Auctioneer Practice Exam

What type of easement allows one party to cross another's property?

1. Utility easement

2. Access easement

3. Prescriptive easement

4. Negative easement

The correct answer is: Access easement

The type of easement that specifically allows one party to cross another's property is known as an access easement. This easement grants rights for individuals to travel over property owned by another person, providing necessary access to a public road or another property. Utility easements, while also involving rights to use someone else's land, are primarily designated for the placement and maintenance of utility services, such as water, electricity, and telecommunications. They do not typically include the right to traverse the property for general access. Prescriptive easements arise when a party has continuously used someone else's property without permission for a specified period, eventually gaining legal rights due to that usage. While it may lead to the ability to cross the property, it's a more complex legal situation and not a predetermined access right. Negative easements prevent a property owner from performing certain activities on their own land that would affect the easement holder's property rights, but they do not grant any access to cross the property. Therefore, the best answer to the question posed is indeed the access easement, as it directly pertains to the right of passage across another’s property.