Page 15 - Talk of Tequesta - February '25
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The Talk Of Tequesta, Page 15
norThern noTes
Easements On Your Property
By Katie Roundtree, Director of Finance and Administration, Northern Palm Beach County Improvement District
If you own property in Florida, you may come across purpose. It does not grant ownership of the property; rather, Once both parties agree
the term “easement.” An easement can influence how it allows the user to utilize the property without the risk to the terms of an easement,
you use your property, and the rights associated with it. of being charged with trespassing. For instance, a water it is recorded with the Palm
These legal agreements are often present in areas where management maintenance easement may exist between two Beach County Clerk of the
the Northern Palm Beach County Improvement District homes, designating an area where the easement holder can Court. This ensures that
has facilities and maintenance responsibilities. Easements travel to access something on the other side. Another example any future owners of the
are essential for allowing the district to access locations is a flowage easement, which allows water to flow from one property are aware of the
where it does not have ownership rights, particularly near location through a body of water owned by someone else. easement’s existence. If the
its facilities, preserves, or waterways. A common easement in this context is a water management property is sold later, the
An easement is a legal arrangement that permits another easement, usually covering areas where pipes, used for easement will be noted in
party to use a specified portion of property for a particular stormwater management, may be buried. the title search and property
survey to document the
easement area.
REDEFINING
WORLD CLASS
HEART CARE
A water management maintenance easement typically
grants the easement owner the rights of ingress and egress,
allowing access to the property for maintenance of water
management tracts or preserves located on the other
side. The easement also allows the agency’s agents and
contractors to pass through the property, with or without
equipment and vehicles.
As the property owner, you are responsible for
maintaining the easement area and keeping it free from
plants, trees, fences, and structures, unless specifically
permitted through the official permitting process. You
cannot block access to the easement. If a permitted fence
with gates exists within the easement, access should not
be hindered by dogs or security systems. The owner
and their contractors have the right to pass through the
property safely and without harassment. Additionally,
trees planted in water management easements can
grow into and damage pipes and structures, potentially
impacting stormwater management or causing sinkholes
from collapsed pipes.
It’s important to understand the significance of
easements on your property and to keep these areas clear
of personal belongings. Easements provide necessary
access for district employees and contractors to legally
enter properties located on the other side. Without this
access, maintenance of preserves and stormwater facilities
becomes impossible, which could put the district in
violation of regulations with the South Florida Water
Management District. In some cases, this lack of access
may even result in improper functioning of these systems.
For more information, please visit our website at
www.npbcid.org, where you can view facility maps that
display the locations of easements. Additionally, the site
includes a link to our geographical information system
(GIS), which presents property information and district
facilities in an interactive map format.
NPDES tip: Dirt, oil, and debris that collect in parking
lots and paved areas can be washed into the storm sewer
system and eventually enter local waterbodies. Sweep up
litter and debris from sidewalks, driveways and parking
lots, especially around storm drains.
When it comes to hearts at Cleveland Clinic, you can’t
miss a beat. You seek the best care possible, work with
the brightest minds, and leave no stone unturned to
get to the heart of the matter. Because understanding
is always the first step to overcoming. For every heart
in the world. See how we’re advancing the future of
heart care at Cleveland Clinic in Broward and Palm
Beach counties.
Visit ClevelandClinicFlorida.org/Heart to learn more. For Every Care in the World
Monday, February 17