Opinion ID: 1186809
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Construction of gates across the easement

Text: The trial court held that the appellants could not maintain gates to obstruct the use of the easement by the respondents. The appellants cite this as error believing that this will force them to fence the entire roadway or if they do not it will deprive them of the reasonable use of their property. The respondents answer this specification of error by stating that the trial judge's finding did not prohibit gates per se, but only those that would obstruct the easement. The trial judge's order could be construed either way. We hold that gates are not prohibited per se but cannot be constructed or maintained in such a way as to interfere with the use of the roadway by the respondents. The facts indicate that gates were constructed and used across the easement from the time the fence was constructed in the early 1940's. These gates were used for controlling livestock. The construction and maintenance of these gates is a reasonable condition to impose upon the use of the easement. City of Bellevue v. Daly, 14 Idaho 545, 94 P. 1036 (1908). Any gates constructed on the easement must be easy to open and of sufficient width. The owner of an easement has the right and duty to maintain, repair, and protect the easement. Suitts v. McMurtrey, 97 Idaho 416, 546 P.2d 62 (1976); Rehwalt v. American Falls Reservoir District No. 2, 97 Idaho 634, 550 P.2d 137 (1976); City of Bellevue v. Daly, supra . The owner of the servient estate has no duty to maintain the easement. Suitts v. McMurtrey, supra ; Kirk v. Schultz, 63 Idaho 278, 119 P.2d 266 (1941). This duty requires that the easement owner maintain the easement so as not to create an additional burden on the servient estate. In City of Bellevue, this Court held that it was the obligation of the easement owner to fence and protect the easement. The Court reasoned that the owner of the land subject to the easement should not be deprived of the use of his land as pasturage because of the existence of the easement. The Court also held that it was not the servient landowner's duty to protect the easement. It would seem proper in this case to require the respondent, the owners of the dominant estate, to absorb the cost of constructing and maintaining any gates necessary to protect the easement and to allow the appellants reasonable use of their land as pasturage.