Easement in Michigan
State-specific overview · Property & Real Estate
Michigan enforces easements through express grant, implication, necessity, and prescription, with 15 years required for prescriptive easements.
How Michigan treats Easement
Michigan recognizes easements created by written agreement, deed, or oral grant if properly evidenced. Easements by necessity apply when land is completely cut off from public roads or utility access. Prescriptive easements require only 15 years of open, notorious, and continuous use, which is shorter than many states. Michigan courts also recognize easements by implication when prior use patterns suggest the parties intended an easement to continue after property division.
The general definition of Easement
The right to use someone else's land for a specific purpose, like crossing it or running utilities.
An easement gives one person or entity the legal right to use another person's property in a limited way. For example, a utility company might have an easement to run electric lines under your yard, or a neighbor might have an easement to cross your land to reach their property. The property owner still owns the land but cannot prevent the easement holder from exercising their right.
Read the full Easement entry →This page is a plain-English reference and is not legal advice. State laws change frequently. For specific situations consult a licensed attorney in Michigan.