Appurtenance

The full definition

A right or improvement that passes with the property when title transfers, such as an easement benefiting the parcel, a parking right or a fixture attached to the building.

Which related terms should you know?

These are the terms that come up alongside appurtenance in the same file.

Easement

A right to use part of another owner's property for a specific purpose. Easements appear as exceptions on a title report and generally survive a sale of the land.

Fee simple

Ownership of land held indefinitely and freely transferable, subject only to recorded encumbrances and to government powers such as taxation, zoning and condemnation.

Deed

The instrument that conveys real property. Signature, acknowledgment and delivery make it effective between the parties, while recording is what protects it against later purchasers.

Right of way

An easement granting passage across land. Recorded rights of way run with the property and are listed among the exceptions on a title report.

Covenant

A recorded promise or restriction that runs with the land and binds future owners. Restrictive covenants limit what the property may be used for or how it may be built on.

What else should you read before closing?