Servient estate is a parcel of land that is subject to an easement and benefits another parcel of land. An easement is a privilege or right that the owner of one parcel of real property (called a dominant estate or dominant tenement) has concerning another parcel of an estate (called a servient estate), and the owner of a servient estate is obligated not to interfere with that privilege. The most common easements are of an access nature. For example, a parcel of land (servient estate) may be subject to a right-of-way that provides access to another parcel (dominant estate). Also termed servient property; servient tenement; lower estate.
[Last updated in August of 2021 by the Wex Definitions Team]