Opinion ID: 1264477
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Easement Implied by Prior Use

Text: BellSouth argues the Court of Appeals erred in reversing the grant of summary judgment on the easement implied by prior use claim because South Carolina does not recognize this type of easement. If early case law recognized the claim, then BellSouth contends it has only been recognized in the context of water drainage easements and has been subsumed by the development of easements by necessity and by prescription. Further, if an easement implied by prior use is currently recognized, then the Court of Appeals erred in finding a genuine issue of material fact existed as to the necessity element. The special referee recognized a claim for easement implied by prior use, but found Boyd did not produce any evidence BellSouth intended to create an easement at the time of severance. He also found Boyd did not meet the element of necessity. Based on those findings, the special referee granted summary judgment for BellSouth. The Court of Appeals held an easement implied by prior use exists when: (1) the dominant and servient tracts of land originated from a common owner; (2) the use was in existence at the time the original grantor severed the tracts; and (3) the use was apparent, continuous, and necessary for enjoyment of the dominant tract. Boyd, 359 S.C. at 214, 597 S.E.2d at 164 (citing Crosland v. Rogers, 32 S.C. 130, 133, 10 S.E. 874, 875 (1890) and Slater v. Price, 96 S.C. 245, 255-56, 80 S.E. 372, 374 (1913)). Further, the evidence showed BellSouth was the common owner of both parcels and continuously used the apparent driveway during the time of common ownership. The Court of Appeals concluded a factual issue existed as to whether the driveway is reasonably necessary for the enjoyment of Boyd's property and remanded the case. Boyd, 359 S.C. at 215-16, 597 S.E.2d at 164-65.
While other authorities plainly identify easements by prior use, necessity, and prescription as three types of easements, South Carolina case law has not clearly distinguished between these types of easements. See 25 Am.Jur.2d Easements and Licenses 22, 30, 39 (generally describing easements by prior use, necessity, and prescription). Moreover, although easements by implication have been recognized in South Carolina, an easement implied by prior use has never been explicitly recognized. The intent of the parties, as shown by all the facts and circumstances under which a conveyance was made, may give rise to an easement by implication. Hamilton v. CCM, Inc., 274 S.C. 152, 158, 263 S.E.2d 378, 381 (1980). Whatever easements are created by implication must be determined as of the time of the severance of the ownership of the tracts involved. Clemson Univ. v. First Provident Corp., 260 S.C. 640, 652, 197 S.E.2d 914, 920 (1973). Easements may be implied by necessity, by prior use, from map or boundary references, or from a general plan. 25 Am.Jur.2d Easements and Licenses 20-22, 30 (describing the different types of implied easements); Restatement (Third) Property: Servitudes §§ 2.11-.15 (2000 & Supp.2006) (same); see, e.g., Carolina Land Co. v. Bland, 265 S.C. 98, 217 S.E.2d 16 (1975) (when a grantor lays out a tract of land in streets and lots on a plat and sells those lots by deeds referring to the plat, normally the legal effect is the creation and conveyance of implied easements in the streets to the grantees); McAllister v. Smiley, 301 S.C. 10, 389 S.E.2d 857 (1990) (easement implied where the deed described the tract of land as bounded by a street and the deed referred to the plat on which the street was indicated but the deed did not mention an easement); Brasington v. Williams, 143 S.C. 223, 141 S.E. 375 (1927) (easement implied by necessity where the grantee was without an express easement or right of way to a public highway); see generally Brasington, 143 S.C. at 245, 141 S.E. at 382 (There seems to have been nine methods recognized under the common law for the creation of an easement, namely, by grant, estoppel, way of a necessity, implication, dedication, prescription, ancient window doctrine, reservation, or condemnation.) (citing Davis v. Robinson, 189 N.C. 589, 127 S.E. 697 (1925)). The party asserting the right to an easement implied by prior use must establish the following: (1) unity of title; (2) severance of title; (2) the prior use was in existence at the time of unity of title; (3) the prior use was not merely temporary or casual; (4) the prior use was apparent or known to the parties; (5) the prior use was necessary in that there could be no other reasonable mode of enjoying the dominant tenement without the prior use; and (6) the common grantor indicated an intent to continue the prior use after severance of title. See Elliott v. Rhett, 39 S.C.L. (5 Rich.) 405 (1852) (Apart from all considerations of time, there is implied, upon the severance of a heritage, a grant of all those continuous and apparent easements, which have in fact been used by the owner during the unity, though they have had no legal existence as easements. . . .); [2] Crosland, 32 S.C. at 133, 10 S.E. at 875 (implicitly recognizing an easement implied by prior use where there has been a unity of possession and a subsequent sale of a portion of the land over which the easement is claimed, that said easement must have been apparent, continuous, and necessary at the time of said sale, the term `necessary' meaning that there could be no other reasonable mode of enjoying the dominant tenement without this easement); [3] see also Merrimon v. McCain, 201 S.C. 76, 82, 21 S.E.2d 404, 407 (1942), overruled on other grounds by Jowers v. Hornsby, 292 S.C. 549, 551-52, 357 S.E.2d 710, 711 (1987) (plaintiff sought an easement based on three grounds: (1) the easement was visible, apparent, and appurtenant to the property, (2) the easement was implied by necessity, and (3) easement by prescription). [4] The party asserting the right of an easement by necessity must demonstrate: (1) unity of title, (2) severance of title, and (3) necessity. Kennedy v. Bedenbaugh, 352 S.C. 56, 60, 572 S.E.2d 452, 454 (2002). To establish a prescriptive easement, the party asserting the right must show: (1) continued use for 20 years, (2) the identity of the thing enjoyed, and (3) use which is either adverse or under a claim of right. Horry County v. Laychur, 315 S.C. 364, 367, 434 S.E.2d 259, 261 (1993); Shia v. Pendergrass, 222 S.C. 342, 351, 72 S.E.2d 699, 703 (1952). When the claimant has established that the use was open, notorious, continuous, and uninterrupted, the use will be presumed to have been adverse. Poole v. Edwards, 197 S.C. 280, 283, 15 S.E.2d 349, 350 (1941). A prescriptive easement is not implied by law but is established by the conduct of the dominant tenement owner; however, easements by prior use and by necessity are implied by law. Clemson Univ., 260 S.C. at 652, 197 S.E.2d at 919; 12 S.C. Jur. Easements 10; 25 Am.Jur.2d Easements and Licenses 22, 30. An easement by necessity does not require a preexisting use during unity of title; whereas an easement by prior use does impose this requirement. 25 Am.Jur.2d Easements and Licenses § 32; 28A C.J.S. Easements § 92. An easement implied by prior use will not be extinguished if the easement is no longer necessary, but an easement by necessity will be extinguished once the necessity ends. 25 Am.Jur.2d Easements and Licenses §§ 29, 35. Easements by prescription, implied by prior use, and implied by necessity have different elements and are applicable to different factual scenarios; thus, an easement implied by prior use has not been subsumed by other types of easements. Regardless of whether an easement implied by prior use was originally recognized in a water drainage situation, this does not prevent its application in other circumstances.
If an easement implied by prior use is recognized, BellSouth contends the Court of Appeals erred in finding a genuine issue of material fact existed as to the necessity element of easement implied by prior use because the court simultaneously found Boyd did not meet the necessity element of easement by necessity. The necessity required for easement by necessity must be actual, real, and reasonable as distinguished from convenient, but need not be absolute and irresistible. Jowers, 292 S.C. at 550-51, 357 S.E.2d at 711 (citing Steele v. Williams, 204 S.C. 124, 28 S.E.2d 644 (1944); Merrimon, 201 S.C. at 76, 21 S.E.2d at 404; Lawton v. Rivers, 13 S.C.L. (2 McCord) 445 (1823)). The necessity element of easement by necessity must exist at the time of the severance and the party claiming the right to an easement must not create the necessity when it would not otherwise exist. Clemson Univ., 260 S.C. at 652, 197 S.E.2d at 920; see also 28A C.J.S. Easements 96 (necessity required for easement by necessity must exist at the time of the severance and at the time of the exercise of the easement). For an easement implied by prior use, necessity means there could be no other reasonable mode of enjoying the dominant tenement without this easement. . . . Crosland, 32 S.C. at 133, 10 S.E. at 875; see also 25 Am.Jur.2d Easements and Licenses § 29 (necessity for easement implied by prior use generally means reasonable necessity which will contribute to enjoyment of the dominant estate); 28A C.J.S. Easements § 72 (implied grant of easement by prior use requires a reasonable degree of necessity for the enjoyment of the dominant estate; it need not be absolute but must be more than mere convenience). The necessity element of easement implied by prior use must be determined at the time of the severance. 25 Am.Jur.2d Easements and Licenses 29; 28A C.J.S. Easements 69; see, e.g., Norken Corp. v. McGahan, 823 P.2d 622 (Alaska 1991) (remanding case for determination of whether necessity element for easement implied by prior use met at the time of severance). While the necessity elements for the two types of easements obviously are similar, the need required for an easement by prior use may be less than required for an easement by necessity. See Russakoff v. Scruggs, 241 Va. 135, 400 S.E.2d 529, 533 (1991) (easement implied by prior use requires a showing of need which, by definition, may be less than that required for establishing an easement by necessity, but must be something more than simple convenience); Granite Props. Ltd. v. Manns, 140 Ill.App.3d 561, 94 Ill.Dec. 353, 487 N.E.2d 1230 (1986) (a greater degree of necessity may be required for easement by necessity than for easement by prior use); 28A C.J.S. Easements 92 (same). This lesser showing of necessity may stem in part from an often unspoken realization on the part of the fact finder that a prior use indicates a need for a particular easement. See Michael V. Hernandez, Restating Implied, Prescriptive, and Statutory Easements, 40 Real Prop. Prob. & Tr. J. 75 (2005) (The easement implied by prior use is based on the maxim . . . whatever is necessary and related is appended. . . .). Viewed in the light most favorable to Boyd, the evidence indicates BellSouth at one time commonly owned the two parcels at issue and used the driveway to access the rear entrance of the building. Upon severance of the two parcels, Boyd's parcel, then owned by Denmark, was bounded on two sides by public streets. The evidence indicates there are two entrances to Boyd's building. During the past 50 years, the rear entrance and loading docks have been generally accessible from Beech Avenue by using BellSouth's driveway and have been used to deliver large items to the basement of the building. There is evidence the front entrance does not provide access to the basement for the delivery of large items because the stairways and hallways are too narrow. The evidence also indicates an alternate driveway to the building would be infeasible, impractical, and very costly. Thus, there is a genuine issue of material fact that without this particular easement, there could be no other reasonable mode of enjoying the dominant tenement at the time of severance. Crosland, 32 S.C. at 133, 10 S.E. at 875.