Opinion ID: 884529
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Scope of Implied Easements

Text: ¶ 30 The extent and scope of an implied easement from existing use is determined by § 70-17-106, MCA, and § 70-20-308, MCA. Section 70-17-106, MCA, applies to implied grants of easements and provides that [t]he extent of a servitude is determined by the terms of the grant or the nature of the enjoyment by which it was acquired. Section 70-20-308, MCA, applies to implied reservations of easements and provides: A transfer of real property passes all easements attached thereto and creates in favor thereof an easement to use other real property of the person whose estate is transferred in the same manner and to the same extent as such property was obviously and permanently used by the person whose estate is transferred for the benefit thereof at the time when the transfer was agreed upon or completed. Pursuant to these statutes, the extent and scope of the easement over Galts' property is limited to its historical use at the time the easement was created. ¶ 31 The scope of the easement is, therefore, limited to the uses the parties might reasonably have expected or anticipated. In this case, prior to severance and for over fifty years since, use of the easement has been limited to primarily agricultural and recreational purposes, and there is no evidence that the parties ever considered the easement to be unlimited in scope. ¶ 32 Accordingly, we conclude that the District Court did not err when it denied Hoyem Trust's motion for partial summary judgment and granted summary judgment pursuant to Rule 56, M.R.Civ.P., in favor of Galts. The District Court did not err when it found that Hoyem Trust has an implied easement from existing use, rather than an implied easement by necessity, and that the scope and extent of the easement is limited to agricultural and recreational purposes based on the historic use of the easement at the time of its creation. ¶ 33 The judgment of the District Court is affirmed. KARLA M. GRAY, JAMES C. NELSON, WILLIAM E. HUNT, SR., JIM REGNIER, JJ., concur.