Q: My father in law owns a parcel of land he inherited from his father. The man who owns the adjacent property has put up
A locked gate on the easement. My father in law has been unable to access this land for many years. He is an elderly man and this neighbor has been intimidated him. My father in law is scared of this neighbor so has not done anything about this.
My father in law wants to gift my husband and I this land. Can we legally sue this man? If so should we keep the property in my father in laws hands to sue this man before he gifts it to us?
A: There are a couple of issues here. First is if the easement is in the deeds, and what the stated scope of it is. If there is clear language in the deed granting the right-of-way that is being blocked, then there are grounds to sue. If the right-off-way is only based on past use, that is more difficult to address. As to who can sue, generally, it would be the owner of the land who has standing to sue. If you have a written purchase agreement, that might give you standing to sue also.
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
