Page 18 - The Islander - February '25

Page 18, The Islander

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Easements On Your Property

By Katie Roundtree, Director of Finance and Administration, Northern Palm Beach County Improvement District

If you own property It’s important to understand the significance of easements display the locations of easements. Additionally, the site
in Florida, you may on your property and to keep these areas clear of personal includes a link to our geographical information system
come across the term belongings. Easements provide necessary access for district (GIS), which presents property information and district
“easement.” An easement employees and contractors to legally enter properties located facilities in an interactive map format.
can influence how you on the other side. Without this access, maintenance of preserves NPDES tip: Dirt, oil, and debris that collect in parking
use your property, and the and stormwater facilities becomes impossible, which could put lots and paved areas can be washed into the storm sewer
rights associated with it. the district in violation of regulations with the South Florida system and eventually enter local waterbodies. Sweep up
These legal agreements are Water Management District. In some cases, this lack of access litter and debris from sidewalks, driveways and parking
often present in areas where may even result in improper functioning of these systems. lots, especially around storm drains.
the Northern Palm Beach For more information, please visit our website at
County Improvement www.npbcid.org, where you can view facility maps that
District has facilities and
maintenance responsibilities. Easements are essential
for allowing the district to access locations where it does
not have ownership rights, particularly near its facilities,
preserves, or waterways.
it allows the user to utilize the property without the risk REDEFINING
An easement is a legal arrangement that permits another
party to use a specified portion of property for a particular
purpose. It does not grant ownership of the property; rather,
is a flowage easement, which allows water to flow from one WORLD CLASS
of being charged with trespassing. For instance, a water
management maintenance easement may exist between two
homes, designating an area where the easement holder can
travel to access something on the other side. Another example

location through a body of water owned by someone else.
A common easement in this context is a water management
easement, usually covering areas where pipes, used for HEART CARE
stormwater management, may be buried.
Once both parties agree to the terms of an easement,
it is recorded with the Palm Beach County Clerk of the
Court. This ensures that any future owners of the property
are aware of the easement’s existence. If the property is
sold later, the easement will be noted in the title search
and property survey to document the easement area.

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. When it comes to hearts at Cleveland Clinic, you can’t
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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