Opinion ID: 1964615
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Woods Road

Text: [¶ 22] The Sheas contend that the Superior Court erred in finding that Jordan did not have a prescriptive easement over the woods road. The Superior Court's conclusion may be vacated only if the evidence before it compelled a contrary holding. See Glidden v. Belden, 684 A.2d 1306, 1316 (Me.1996). The party asserting an easement by prescription must prove continuous use for at least 20 years under a claim of right adverse to the owner, with his knowledge and acquiescence, or a use so open, notorious, visible, and uninterrupted that knowledge and acquiescence will be presumed. Stickney, 2001 ME 69, ¶ 16, 770 A.2d at 601 (internal quotation marks omitted). [¶ 23] To use property under a claim of right, a claimant must be in possession as the owner, intending to claim the land as his own, and may not be in recognition of or subordination to [the] record title owner. Id. ¶ 20, 770 A.2d at 602. The claimant's use of the property is adverse to the owner when the claimant disregards the owner's rights entirely and uses the land as though he were the true owner. Id. ¶ 21. Relevant to these determinations is the prescriptive user's state of mind. Glidden, 684 A.2d at 1317. [¶ 24] The use of the woods road did not ripen into an easement by prescription. Duschek testified at trial that Lewis Smith sought, and he granted, permission to use the woods road. Seeking permission not only evinces a recognition of Duschek's status as title owner, but it negates the prescriptive user's claim that use of the property was adverse to the owner. See Stickney, 2001 ME 69, ¶ 21, 770 A.2d at 602 (noting that use of property is adverse when the owner has not given permission for that use). This failure to establish that use of the property was under a claim of right adverse to the owner is fatal to the claim for a prescriptive easement.