FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169  
170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   180   181   182   183   184   185   186   187   188   189   190   191   192   193   194   >>   >|  
rivate way over another's land, has no right to go upon adjoining land, even though the private way is impassable. Sec.7. A right of way sometimes arises by _prescription_; which is the right or title to a thing derived from long use and enjoyment. Such is the right which, by common law, a man acquires to land which has been peaceably held by himself, or by himself and preceding owners, for twenty years. Although the first occupancy was obtained without grant, the long free use of the land is, in law, equivalent to a grant, and implies a valid title. In some states, shorter periods have been fixed by statute in which a right by prescription may be obtained. In Pennsylvania, and Ohio, the period is fixed at twenty-one years. Sec.8. The owners of land adjoining highways, have a right to the soil to the centre of the road: the public have only a right of passage while the road is continued. The owners of the soil may maintain a suit against any person who encroaches upon the road, or digs up the soil, or cuts down trees growing on the side of the road. They may carry water in pipes under it, and have every use of it that does not interfere with the rights of the public. Sec.9. Every proprietor of lands adjoining a stream, has naturally an equal right to the use of the water that flows in the stream adjacent to his lands, "as it was wont to run." Each may use the water while it runs upon his own land; but he can not unreasonably detain it, or give it another direction; and he must return it to its ordinary channel when it leaves his estate. He can not, by dams or any obstruction, cause the water injuriously to overflow the grounds of the neighbor above him, nor so use or apply it as materially to injure his neighbor below him. Sec.10. But this right to the use of waters, as an easement to the land, may be acquired and lost, or enlarged and abridged, by prescription. A man may diminish the quantity of the water, or corrupt its quality, by the exercise of certain trades; and by such use of the water for a sufficient length of time, he is in law _presumed_ to have acquired it by grant: and this presumption is the foundation of his right by prescription. The time of such use and enjoyment of water necessary to establish such right is twenty years, except in states in which a different period is fixed by statute. (Sec.7.) Sec.11. It is a general and established doctrine, that an exclusive and uninterrupted enjoyment of
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169  
170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   180   181   182   183   184   185   186   187   188   189   190   191   192   193   194   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

prescription

 
enjoyment
 

twenty

 
owners
 

adjoining

 

acquired

 

statute

 

states

 

period

 

obtained


neighbor

 

stream

 
public
 

injuriously

 

grounds

 

overflow

 
obstruction
 

ordinary

 
direction
 

detain


return
 

leaves

 

channel

 

unreasonably

 

estate

 

enlarged

 

foundation

 

establish

 

presumption

 

presumed


trades

 

sufficient

 

length

 
doctrine
 
exclusive
 

uninterrupted

 

established

 
general
 

exercise

 

injure


materially

 

waters

 

quantity

 

corrupt

 

quality

 
diminish
 

abridged

 
easement
 

occupancy

 

Although