California Real Estate SalespersonProperty Ownership and Land Use ControlsMedium
A property owner gives a neighbor oral permission to park a boat trailer in the owner's driveway whenever needed. The owner retains the right to revoke this permission at any time. This arrangement is best classified as a:
- AEasement in gross
- BLicense
- CEasement appurtenant
- DProfit a prendre
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: B. License
A license is a personal, revocable permission to use another's land that does not create an interest in real property. Because it can be revoked at the owner's will and was granted orally without formal conveyance, it is a license rather than an easement.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. An easement in gross also creates a permanent, non-revocable property interest, unlike a license.
- C. An easement appurtenant is a permanent, transferable property interest benefiting a dominant estate, not a revocable permission.
- D. A profit a prendre involves the right to remove resources like timber or minerals, not parking.
License (Real Property)
A personal, revocable permission to use another's land that does not create a permanent interest in the property.
- Revocable at the will of the landowner
- Does not run with the land or transfer to successors
- Contrast with easements, which are permanent interests
Memory trick: A license is just a ticket — good until it's revoked.