From time to time, municipal parties need to get easements to properties in the area in order to do routine work on water systems, roadways, or other municipal responsibilities. However, the owner of the property needs to technically grant the easement. Negotiations are sometimes necessary to give the property owner compensation or to get the necessary easement. Read on to learn more.
Instructions
1. Explain the need for the easement to the property owner. If an owner knows that the easement is for the municipality to work on infrastructure, they may donate the easement to the municipality. Otherwise, they may want some monetary compensation.
2. Use legal resources to find a fair purchase price for the easement.
3. Make sure that you have requested a sufficient size of an easement. The easement generally is purchased according to number of feet from the edge of the property (on the side near municipal roads, etc.) It's no use going about getting an easement that won't allow municipal workers to actually fix things. If the size of the easement seems large to the property owner, explain the specifics such as why they need so much space, and what equipment/methodology will be used by workers.
4. Play hardball if needed. If the property owner seems unreasonable and set against signing an easement, it's time to diplomatically explain that the municipality can, in many cases, obtain an easement without consent, through the use of eminent domain laws. Eminent domain is intended to help the municipality do the work that it needs to do for the welfare of all of its residents.
5. Inform the property owner of the process and keep in touch regarding what will be done and when. An informed land owner is better equipped to cooperate with municipal requests.
Tags: property owner, easement municipality, municipality work, size easement