What does "appurtenant easement" mean?

An appurtenant easement refers to a specific type of easement that benefits a particular piece of land, known as the dominant tenement, by granting a right of use over another parcel of land, referred to as the servient tenement. This relationship means that the easement is tied to the ownership of the dominant tenement and will transfer with the property when it is sold or conveyed. For example, if a property owner has an appurtenant easement to use a driveway on a neighbor's land to access a main road, this right will continue even if the property owner sells their home. This characteristic highlights the connection between the easement and the land it serves, emphasizing its role in enhancing the utility or value of the dominant property.

Other choices describe different legal concepts that do not accurately define an appurtenant easement, such as exclusive ownership rights, commercial leases, or temporary licenses, which focus on development rights, leasing, and transient permissions respectively, rather than the enduring relationship between two parcels of land created by an easement.