Some landowners in Texas cannot access their landlocked property from a public road without crossing over private property owned by someone else. 与普遍的看法相反, 没有自动进入的权利, although there are a number of methods to consider in obtaining a legal right to access landlocked property. 建立永久的, enforceable right of access—rather than relying on friendly permission of a third party—will reduce headaches for landowners and their visitors.
为什么法律途径很重要
如果德克萨斯州的土地所有者拥有内陆财产, it’s a good idea to try and gain legal access to the property for both convenience and legal reasons. Title companies are usually unwilling to insure title to a property that lacks legal access, 没有访问权限, the property will likely be difficult to sell to any party desiring title insurance. 此外，如果没有可保产权，贷款人就不太可能发放贷款. Obtaining some sort of easement will likely be in the best interest of the landowner, 土地所有人是否想要使用或出售该财产. 这里有一些选择.
获得邻居的明示地役权. The easiest way to gain access to a landlocked property is to obtain an express easement from the neighboring landowner. 这份地役权应当是书面的, 由授予人签署, 具体确定财产和允许地役权使用的细节, 并登记在县里的契约记录里.
Some neighboring landowners may grant this type of easement without requiring compensation, 而其他人可能会为穿越他们土地的权利寻求某种形式的付款. 如果邻居拒绝授予这种明示地役权, 内陆所有者可能会被迫寻找其他途径.
确定是否存在“必要的地役权”.” Texas law recognizes an implied “easement by necessity” in certain situations when it’s necessary to cross another landowner’s private property. To obtain an easement by necessity, a landlocked owner must prove all of the following:
- The same person must have at one time owned the landlocked property and tract across which access is sought (unity of ownership of the alleged dominant and servient estates prior to severance).
- 声称的访问是必要的，而不仅仅是方便.
- 这一必要性在两个地产被分割的时候是存在的.
如果一个内陆业主能够证明这三点, 他或她可以根据需要向法院申请地役权声明, 然后可以在县契约记录中存档. 如果一个内陆所有者不能证明这三个要素, 因必要而产生的地役权不被承认.
确定是否存在规定性地役权. Prescriptive easements are essentially obtaining an easement through adverse possession and are disfavored by law. 获得这种地役权, the person claiming the easement must prove he or she has used the easement for at least 10 years and the use was open and notorious, 连续, 独家, 和不良.
独家 意味着只有寻求地役权的人使用了地役权. 例如, if any other person used the road, this element is not satisfied. 敌对的用于敌对的或敌对的, 内陆业主, 或者以前的所有者在规定的10年期间使用地役权, must prove they did not have permission and made some affirmative act to indicate their hostile use of the property. If permission to cross the land was granted, an easement by prescription will not be recognized.
If a landlocked property owner can prove the 10 years of use was open and notorious, 连续, 独家, 在法庭上是不利的, he or she may be able to obtain a legal prescriptive easement to file in the deed records.
确定是否可以通过禁止反悔获得缓和. An easement by estoppel arises when one person acts in reliance on being told an easement exists.
例如, a buyer purchases a landlocked property and starts building a house based upon a promise from the neighbor that the buyer can cross his private land to access the property. 随后，邻居拒绝了承诺的访问. 这可能会产生禁止反悔权. 执行这种类型的地役权, 内陆的所有者将被迫向法院提起诉讼, 证明每个元素, 然后拿到法官的命令.
禁止反言缓和的三个必要要素是:
- 一个表示
- 对表象的信念
- 对陈述的依赖.
向专员法院寻求法定的豁免. A statute in the Texas Transportation Code allows a landlocked property owner to seek a public road from the commissioners’ court. The landlocked owner must file a sworn application with the commissioners’ court and provide notice to each property owner who would be affected. 有关申请的聆讯将会举行, and if the commissioners’ court determines the landowner has no access to their land, 法院可以发布命令开辟一条公共道路.
请注意法令中的规定, 如果满足这些因素, the commissioner’s court may issue an order creating a public road—it is not required, 委员们有权决定是否这样做.
Damages to affected property owners will be provided in the same manner as for other public roads, 县政府支付所有与道路开通相关的诉讼费用. The county is required to make the road initially suitable for use as a public access road, 但不需要随后维护道路.
虽然没有自动获取财产的权利, there are numerous options landowners can consider to obtain legal access to their landlocked property.