澳大利亚一般suburb 的居民都是住在自己的房子里,如果你的房子后面还有一个房子,后面的房子必须通过你的房子才能进入主路,那么你的房子就给了后面的房子一个easement 的权利。在这种关系中,后面的房子叫做Dominant estate, 前面的房子叫 Servient estate.
Easement 上可能会出现 for all purpose, 这个短语在的意思是Dominant estate可以主张所有的权力,可以用这个easement 的地方来做任何事情。 也包括Dominant estate 授权的其他人。
High Court in Westfield Management Limited v Perpetual Trustee Company Limited (2007) 233 CLR 528; [2007] HCA 45 (Westfield) said (at 29-30):
“… [T]he broader the right of access to the dominant tenement granted by the easement, the greater the burden upon the proprietary rights in the servient tenement … The term “for all purposes” encompasses all ends sought be achieved by those utilising the easement in accordance with its terms.”
In Kirkjian v Towers Waddell CJ in Eq held that the servient owner was bound to grant consent unless there was a “lawful reason” for refusing to do so. There was no such reason in that case because the proposed user of the right of way was not excessive.” 只要Dominant estate 主张的权力不要过分,法庭都会支持Dominant estate 的主张。
Sertari Pty Ltd v Nirimba Developments Pty Ltd [2007] NSWCA 324; (2008) NSW ConvR 56-200 The servient owner’s refusal of consent, where this is legally necessary, obstructs the dominant owner in the exercise of rights under the easement. Obstruction by legal means in this way is just as much an infringement of the dominant owner’s rights as a direct physical obstruction. Dominant 如果要进一步开发,servient 不能拒绝。
Carter v Cole [2006] EWCA Civ 398; [2006] All ER (D) 139 (Apr) at [8]
where a paved way has already been constructed on the site of an easement which is a right of way, is that the servient owner is under no obligation to maintain or repair the improvements: Servient owner 没有责任来维护easement 上的道路。 但是他可以来维护,如果他觉得想要这么做的话,同样了dominant owner 也没有责任来维护,但是也有自己出钱来维护的权力。