Opinion ID: 2554806
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Purpose of the Easement

Text: [¶ 54] Muther and Woods challenge the court's determination that the easement was created to provide the J-Lot owners with access to Secret Beach for general recreational purposes. [¶ 55] We review de novo the construction of a deed and a plan referenced by the deed. Green v. Lawrence, 2005 ME 90, ¶¶ 7-8, 877 A.2d 1079, 1082. When the purposes of an express easement are not specifically stated, a court must ascertain the objectively manifested intention of the parties [to the original conveyance] in light of circumstances in existence recently prior to the execution of the conveyance, Fine Line, Inc. v. Blake, 677 A.2d 1061, 1064 (Me.1996) (quotation marks omitted), as well as use of the easement and acts acquiesced to during the years shortly after the original grant, Guild v. Hinman, 1997 ME 120, ¶ 9, 695 A.2d 1190, 1193. To determine the objectively manifested intent of the parties, a court may consider extrinsic evidence. Fine Line, 677 A.2d at 1064. The objective intent of the parties is a question of fact, which we review for clear error. See Guild, 1997 ME 120, ¶ 7, 695 A.2d at 1193. [¶ 56] In this case, the J-Lot owners have an easement by implication based upon estoppel that was established by a depiction on the 1970 plan that was labeled 20' Drainage & Walkway Easement and by references to that plan in the J-Lot deeds. See Murch v. Nash, 2004 ME 139, ¶ 12, 861 A.2d 645, 650 (quotation marks omitted). Although 20' Drainage & Walkway Easement may be unambiguous, it is silent as to the purpose of the easement, and the court properly considered extrinsic evidence to ascertain the purpose from the presumed intent of the parties. See Fine Line, 677 A.2d at 1064; Badger v. Hill, 404 A.2d 222, 225 (Me. 1979). [¶ 57] Competent evidence in the record supports the court's determination that the purpose of the easement was to allow access to Secret Beach for general recreational purposes. The placement of the easement terminus at the mean high water mark of Secret Beach on the 1970 plan demonstrates that the purpose of the easement was to create access to Secret Beach. The testimony of Bruce Balfour, Robert Flaherty, Nancy Wulf, and Norman Wulf that they had regularly used Secret Beach for general recreational purposes without objection since 1969 and the early 1970s supports an inference that, just prior to and shortly after the creation of the 1970 plan and the easement, the objectively manifested intention of the parties was to create access to Secret Beach for recreational purposes. See Guild, 1997 ME 120, ¶ 9, 695 A.2d at 1193; Fine Line, 677 A.2d at 1064. The court's findings and conclusion regarding the presumed purpose of the easement were not clearly erroneous. [¶ 58] Muther and Woods correctly point out that because Alan Balfour did not own the intertidal land in front of Lot J-46 when he created the J-Lot subdivision, he could not convey a right of general recreational use of the intertidal land to the J-Lot owners. However, the fact that he did not own the intertidal land did not diminish his ability to convey an easement over Lot J-46 that provided access to Secret Beach for general recreational purposes. The easement can be properly used within that scope if the title owner of the intertidal land, who is neither a party to this litigation nor identified by the record, permits or acquiesces to those uses. See Eaton v. Town of Wells, 2000 ME 176, ¶ 34, 760 A.2d 232, 244.