Opinion ID: 2600772
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Touch and Concern

Text: ¶ 9 Before a successor to the covenantee's estate may compel a covenant's performance, the covenant's benefit must touch and concern the land. This means that there must be a logical connection between the benefit to be derived from enforcement of the covenant and the property. [27] This court has found the touch-and-concern requirement fulfilled in an option to renew or to extend a lease, [28] in an agreement to pay a lessor, as consideration for the execution of a lease, sums of money to be derived from the sale of oil when produced from the leased premises, [29] and in an agreement creating a right of way which limits the owners' use of a portion of realty in exchange for the opportunity for a rural landowner to have a readily available supply of natural gas. [30] In none of these cases did the court explicate the meaning of the phrase other than to suggest generally that to meet this requirement, the covenant must relate to the land. [31] The covenant under review in this case touches and concerns the land because it requires GRDA to perform a physical act upon the land which directly benefits plaintiffs in their capacity as owners of the servient estate. [32]