Certified Residential Appraiser Practice Exam

What term describes a property that is burdened by an easement?

1. Leased fee interest

2. Dominant Tenement

3. Lessee

4. Servient Tenement

The correct answer is: Servient Tenement

The term that describes a property burdened by an easement is known as the servient tenement. An easement is a legal right that allows one party to use the land of another for a specific purpose, such as accessing a road or utility lines. The property that is subject to this easement—the one that grants access but cannot block it—becomes the servient tenement. In contrast, the dominant tenement refers to the property that benefits from the easement. This property gains rights over the servient tenement, allowing its owner to utilize a portion of the land for a specific purpose. Understanding this distinction is crucial because it highlights the nature of the relationship between the two properties in an easement scenario. The other options relate to different concepts in real estate. For instance, a leased fee interest indicates ownership rights combined with certain limitations, typically in a lease agreement context. A lessee is a party that leases property and thus does not directly relate to the concept of easements. Therefore, the term servient tenement accurately captures the essence of a property that is encumbered by an easement, providing clarity on its role in the easement relationship.