Case Citation
Legal Case Name

BROWN v. VOSS Case Brief

The Supreme Court of Washington, En Banc1986
105 Wn.2d 366 715 P.2d 514 Property Remedies Torts

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Case Brief Summary & Legal Analysis

General Brief
4 min read

tl;dr: An easement holder used an easement to access both the intended dominant parcel and an adjacent, after-acquired parcel. The court held that while this was a technical misuse, it would not grant an injunction because it created no additional burden on the servient estate.

Legal Significance: Establishes that a court may, in its equitable discretion, deny an injunction for a technical misuse of an easement—such as extending it to a non-dominant parcel—if there is no increased burden on the servient estate and the balance of hardships favors the dominant owner.

BROWN v. VOSS Law School Study Guide

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Case Facts & Court Holding

Key Facts & Case Background

In 1952, the predecessors of Parcel A’s owners (Defendants, Voss) granted an express private road easement across Parcel A for ingress and egress to the adjacent Parcel B. In 1977, the Plaintiffs (Brown) purchased Parcel B and, shortly thereafter, purchased the adjoining Parcel C from a different seller. Parcel C was not part of the original dominant estate. Plaintiffs intended to build a single-family home that would straddle the boundary line between Parcels B and C. They began using the easement across Parcel A to access both parcels for construction. After Plaintiffs had spent over $11,000 on development, Defendants obstructed the easement and sought an injunction to prevent its use for the benefit of Parcel C. The trial court found that Plaintiffs’ use of the easement to access the combined parcels did not increase the volume of travel or otherwise add to the burden on the servient estate (Parcel A).

Court Holding & Legal Precedent

Issue: May a court, exercising its equitable powers, refuse to enjoin the owner of a dominant estate from using an appurtenant easement to access an adjoining, non-dominant parcel when such use constitutes a technical misuse but does not increase the burden on the servient estate?

Yes. The court held that the trial court did not abuse its Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa

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IRAC Legal Analysis

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Legal Issue

May a court, exercising its equitable powers, refuse to enjoin the owner of a dominant estate from using an appurtenant easement to access an adjoining, non-dominant parcel when such use constitutes a technical misuse but does not increase the burden on the servient estate?

Conclusion

This case is significant for demonstrating that courts may subordinate the rigid Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco lab

Legal Rule

An easement appurtenant to one parcel of land may not be extended Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum

Legal Analysis

The Supreme Court of Washington began its analysis by affirming the black-letter Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing el

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Flash Summary

  • An easement appurtenant cannot be extended to benefit a non-dominant, after-acquired
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum d

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