Is it legal for the county to take possession of a stairway that has been public for 50 years?
Full Question:
Answer:
The responsibility for maintaining the stairs would likely be governed by local ordinances, so I suggest calling the local building or land use department. Please see the contact information at the following link:
http://www.irondequoit.org/content/view/19/34/Injunctive relief consists of a court order called an injunction, requiring an individual to do or not do a specific action. It must be proven that without the injunction, harm will occur which cannot be remedied by money damages. To issue a preliminary injunction, the courts typically require proof that (1) the movant has a ‘strong’ likelihood of success on the merits; (2) the movant would otherwise suffer irreparable injury; (3) the issuance of a preliminary injunction wouldn't cause substantial harm to others; and (4) the public interest would be served by issuance of a preliminary injunction.
It may be possible that an easement has been created by the use of the property. A prescriptive easement is an easement upon another's real property acquired by continued use without permission of the owner for a legally defined period. There are basically two types of easements- easements in gross and appurtenant easements. Easements in gross are personal rights given to individuals or specific groups. Once the easement owner dies or, in the case of corporations, dissolves, the easement terminates. Appurtenant easements are more permanent and are given to both the property and its owner. If the property owner with an easement sells the property, the new buyer gains the easement rights that belong with the property. To be a legal appurtenant easement, the properties involved must be adjacent to each other and must be owned by separate entities.
When the title is transferred, the easement appurtenant typically remains with the property. This type of easement runs with the land; which means that if the property is bought or sold, it is bought or sold with the easement in place. The easement essentially becomes part of the legal description.
To terminate an easement, a condition for the purpose of the easement must have changed, such as:
• Easement's purpose no longer exists
• Ownership of the easement and of the land where the easement is located merges into one owner
• Land owner releases the easement
• Easement is abandoned
• Nonuse (of a prescriptive easement)
• Adverse possession by the owner of the land where the easement is located
• Court judgmrnt in a quiet title action
• Misuse of the easement
Misuse of an easement does not usually terminate the easement but may give rise to claims for legal or equitable remedies. Legal proceedings may be necessary to interpret and determine the scope of easements.
An easement by necessity is allowed by law for the full enjoyment of property. An easement to provide access over adjacent property if crossing that property is absolutely necessary to reach a landlocked parcel would be one granted by necessity. Parcels without access to a public way may have an easement of access over adjacent land, if crossing that land is absolutely necessary to reach the landlocked parcel. This easement is extinguished upon termination of the necessity (for example, if a new public road is built adjacent to the landlocked tenement). An easement by necessity arises only when "strictly necessary".
However, the landlocked owner might be required to obtain a license for a new commercial use or to cause damage during access (e.g., a logging road or blazed trails). Some states disfavor granting easements by necessity when the need was created by the owner's own actions, say, by selling off plots of land resulting in a landlocked parcel.
Misuse of an easement does not usually terminate the easement but may give rise to claims for legal or equitable remedies. Legal proceedings may be necessary to interpret and determine the scope of easements.