What is an easement?

An easement is indeed defined as a legal right to use someone else's land for a specific purpose. This definition reflects the fundamental nature of an easement, which allows one party (the dominant tenement) to benefit from the use of another party's property (the servient tenement) in a way that is typically intended for specific, limited purposes, such as access, utility installation, or conservation.

Easements can take various forms, such as right-of-way easements, which allow passage over another's property, or utility easements, which grant utility companies the right to install and maintain infrastructure like power lines or water pipes. The key characteristic is that the easement holder does not own the land but has a right to use it for the defined purpose.

The other options do not align with this definition. A type of property tax assessment relates to evaluating property for tax purposes, which is unrelated to land use rights. A contract for the sale of property involves a transaction where ownership is transferred from one party to another, which differs fundamentally from the rights conferred by an easement. A restriction on property sales involves limitations on the ability to sell property, which does not pertain to the use of land by another party. Therefore, the