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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#002060">It would be important, then, to define the dominant estate. I don’t think there is one, though, because this looks more like an easement in gross than an easement
appurtenant. The HOA (the benefitted party) would have to be shown to have abandoned its right to create the community park. It hasn’t created a “community park” there in the last 43 years since the CCRs were recorded, so perhaps the abandonment argument
would prevail with respect to the community park. However, some members of the community access the beach through that Lot. Abandonment will be a more difficult argument to make with respect to access.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#002060"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#222A35">Mark B. Anderson<br>
</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#222A35">ANDERSON LAW FIRM PLLC<br>
821 Dock St Ste 209 PMB 4-12<br>
Tacoma, Washington 98402<br>
+1 253-327-1750<br>
+1 253-327-1751 (fax)<br>
<a href="mailto:marka@mbaesq.com">marka@mbaesq.com</a><br>
<a href="http://www.mbaesq.com/">www.mbaesq.com</a><b><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial Narrow",sans-serif;color:#002060">CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE<br>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b>From:</b> wsbarp-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com <wsbarp-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com>
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Douglas Scott<br>
<b>Sent:</b> 06/10/2023 10:00 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> WSBA Real Property Listserv <wsbarp@lists.wsbarppt.com><br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [WSBARP] Ambiguous Easement - Another Try<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:10.0pt">Mark,<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:10.0pt">Easements can be abandoned by the owner of the dominant estate. A mere lack of use is not necessarily an abandonment. An intention of the dominant estate to abandon the easement can be implied when the owner
of the easement neither claims nor retains an interest in the easement. It would seem that your facts indicate an intention to abandon. I would doubt that an easement was ever truly created. The more time that goes by the greater the intent to abandon if
one was even created.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:10.0pt"><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:#6E8F94">DOUGLAS W. SCOTT</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:10.0pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif">Rainier Legal Advocates|LLC</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:10.0pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif">465 Rainier Blvd. N., Suite C </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:10.0pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif">Issaquah, Washington 98027 </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:10.0pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif">425.392.8550 (tel)</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:10.0pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif">425.392.2829 (fax)</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:10.0pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><a href="http://www.rainieradvocates.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:#1155CC">www.rainieradvocates.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:10.0pt">On Fri, Jun 9, 2023 at 2:42 PM Mark Anderson <<a href="mailto:marka@mbaesq.com">marka@mbaesq.com</a>> wrote:<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><i><span style="color:#002060">I sent this out on Monday but received no responses. I really could use some input here – thanks.</span></i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="color:#002060">A new owner of lakefront property discovered that the CCRs for his community contain the following provision:</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<span style="color:#002060">Easements are reserved as indicated on the survey of [the plat], and as shown by instruments of public record, including but not limited to [2 well-described road and utility easements that are depicted on the survey]…
<u>and an easement over a portion of [the owner's lot] of the survey of [the plat] for a community park and lake access</u>.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="color:#002060">There is no further description of the easement for the community park and lake access. And there is no "community park" depicted on the survey of the
plat. At first blush, the ambiguity of the easement area description would seem to bely the very existence of this easement. At its worst, however, this language could seem to indicate that the entirety of the property owner's lot is subject to the easement
rights of the HOA. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="color:#002060">Who has encountered this before and what has been your approach?</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="color:#002060">Thanks in advance.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:12.0pt"><b>Mark B. Anderson<br>
</b>ANDERSON LAW FIRM PLLC<br>
821 Dock St Ste 209 PMB 4-12<br>
Tacoma, Washington 98402<br>
+1 253-327-1750<br>
+1 253-327-1751 (fax)<br>
<a href="mailto:marka@mbaesq.com" target="_blank">marka@mbaesq.com</a><br>
<a href="http://www.mbaesq.com/" target="_blank">www.mbaesq.com</a><o:p></o:p></p>
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this transmission in error, please immediately notify the sender via e-mail or by telephone at (253) 327-1750 that you have received the message in error, and then delete it. Thank you.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"> <o:p></o:p></p>
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