Flowage Easement Appraisal

In most situations, easements will not decrease the value of the property. If the easement has strict rules or requirements the property owner must follow, however, it can affect property value and marketability.

Include the whole length and width. Do this by reference to plans and a ground inspection. Deduct the "after scenario" value from the "before scenario" value to arrive at a value per unit of the easement land. Multiply by the measured area of the easement land to arrive at a total market value.

Flowage easement land is non-federal land on which the United States Government has acquired certain perpetual rights, including the right to overflow, flood and submerge the land, the right to prohibit structures for human habitation, and the right to approve all other structures proposed for construction within the

Although an easement grants a possessory interest in the land for a specific purpose, the landowner retains the title to the property. Easements may be given to anyone, such as neighbors, government agencies, and private parties.

The property owners could pay off the mortgage and refinance with a new mortgage after the easement is put in place. This would put the easement holder's interest ahead of the mortgage holder's. This is the simpler solution but not always practical from the owners' financial standpoint.

An easement is a "nonpossessory" property interest that allows the holder of the easement to have a right of way or use property that they do not own or possess. An easement doesn't allow the easement holder to occupy the land or to exclude others from the land unless they interfere with the easement holder's use.