Opinion ID: 2570567
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Easement/License

Text: [¶ 29] The Marksteins contend that the district court improperly concluded that the fishing and club use agreements constituted licenses, not easements. Rather, the Marksteins argue that the fishing license and club use agreements created an interest in real property that ran with the land, not revocable licenses that were terminated upon the purchase of the land. In particular, they complain that the district court's ruling belies the plain language of the agreements concerning the fishing and club use rights making it clear that these rights were perpetual and could not be terminated upon transfer of the Crescent H Ranch. A license is a privilege to do certain acts of a temporary character on the land of another which is revocable at the will of a licensor unless a definite time has been specified, or unless it is coupled with an interest. Coumas v. Transcontinental Garage, 68 Wyo. 99, 230 P.2d 748, 758 (1951). A license does not give any interest in the land, but means that one who possesses a license is not a trespasser. Anthony Wilkinson Live Stock Co. v. McIlquam, 14 Wyo. 209, 226-27, 83 P. 364, 369 (1905); Metcalf v. Hart, 3 Wyo. 513, 527, 27 P. 900, 905 (1891). A license may be created by parol, a writing, or can be implied from the acts of the parties, from their relations, and from usage and custom. Kendrick v. Healy, 27 Wyo. 123, 148, 192 P. 601, 610 (1920). Usually, an implied license is terminable at will. See Coach House Restaurant, Inc. v. Coach and Six Restaurants, Inc., 934 F.2d 1551, 1563 (11th Cir.1991); cf. Sarfaty v. Evangelist, 142 A.D.2d 995, 530 N.Y.S.2d 417, 418 (4 Dept.1988) (unless the conduct of the licensor makes it inequitable to permit licensor to revoke license). Sammons v. American Auto. Ass'n, 912 P.2d 1103, 1105-06 (Wyo.1996). [¶ 30] We also stated in Baker v. Pike, 2002 WY 34, ¶ 11, 41 P.3d 537, ¶ 11 (Wyo.2002): Generally, an easement is a nonpossessory interest in land of another. Jon W. Bruce and James W. Ely, Jr., The Law of Easements and Licenses in Land § 1:1 (2001) (hereinafter Bruce and Ely). An easement grants the holder the right to a limited use or enjoyment over another's property. Mueller v. Hoblyn, 887 P.2d 500, 504 (Wyo.1994). An easement differs from a license in that a license generally grants permission to do something on another's property. Bruce and Ely at § 1:4. Since permission to do something can be easily rescinded, the landowner usually can terminate the license. Id. Alternatively, easements are generally irrevocable interests in land. Id. [¶ 31] In Hasvold v. Park County School Dist. No. 6, 2002 WY 65, ¶ 13, 45 P.3d 635, ¶ 13 (Wyo.2002), we also recognized: An easement is defined as an interest in land which entitles the easement holder to a limited use or enjoyment over another person's property. Mueller v. Hoblyn, 887 P.2d 500, 504 (Wyo.1994); Restatement of Property § 450(a) (1944). In construing an easement, we seek to determine the intent of the parties to the easement. R.C.R., Inc. v. Rainbow Canyon, Inc., 978 P.2d 581, 586 (Wyo.1999). See also Restatement Third, Property (Servitudes) § 4.1 (2000). We begin by attempting to glean the meaning of the easement from its language. R.C.R., Inc., 978 P.2d at 586; Steil v. Smith, 901 P.2d 395, 396 (Wyo.1995). If the language of the easement is clear and unambiguous, we interpret the easement as a matter of law, without resorting to the use of extrinsic evidence to determine the parties' intent. Id. If, however, the language is ambiguous, then the court looks to extrinsic evidence to ascertain the parties' intent. R.C.R., Inc., 978 P.2d at 586; Edgcomb v. Lower Valley Power and Light, Inc., 922 P.2d 850, 855 (Wyo.1996). Later, in Baker v. Pike , ¶ 20, we stated: In determining whether an easement or a license exists, the critical factor to consider is the parties' intent, identified by the manner in which the right was created, the nature of the right created, the duration of the right, the amount of consideration given for the right, and whether there is a reservation of power to revoke the right. Bruce and Ely, supra, at § 1:5. In addition, in Rehnberg v. Hirshberg, 2003 WY 21, ¶ 9, 64 P.3d 115, ¶ 9 (Wyo.2003) (quoting Sowerwine v. Keith, 997 P.2d 1018, 1020 (Wyo.2000)), a case wherein we recently were called to review a real estate contract deed which involved fishing rights, we elaborated that: Our rules of contract construction are well known. First, we do not need to construe contracts that are not ambiguous. Evans v. Farmers Ins. Exchange, 2001 WY 110, ¶ 9, 34 P.3d 284, 286 (Wyo.2001). Whether a contract is ambiguous is a question of law. O'Quinn Enterprises [ v. Central Wyoming Regional Water System Joint Powers Board ], 975 P.2d [1062], 1064 [ (Wyo.1999) ]. When deciding whether a contract is ambiguous, we endeavor to determine the intention of the parties. Wolter [ v. Equitable Resources Energy Company, Western Region ], 979 P.2d [948], 951 [ (Wyo.1999) ]. An ambiguity exists when a contract's language conveys an obscure or double meaning. Kirkwood v. CUNA Mutual Insurance Society, 937 P.2d 206, 208 (Wyo.1997). When contract provisions are not ambiguous or uncertain, the document speaks for itself. 937 P.2d at 209. With an unambiguous agreement, we secure the parties' intent from the words of the agreement as they are expressed within the four corners of the document. Wolter, 979 P.2d at 951. All conversations, contemporaneous negotiations, and parol agreements between the parties that occurred prior to the written agreement are merged into the written agreement. O'Quinn Enterprises, 975 P.2d at 1064. We turn to extrinsic evidence and rules of contract construction only when the contract language is ambiguous and its meaning is doubtful or uncertain. Wolter, 979 P.2d at 951.