Order No. 9195 of 2024: Partial Use of Easement and Its Legal Significance

The recent order No. 9195 of April 6, 2024, from the Court of Cassation, presided over by M. Mocci and with reporter R. Guida, provides important clarifications regarding real easements. In particular, the Court addressed the issue of the partial use of an easement and its legal implications, establishing that such use does not lead to the extinction of the easement right, even if prolonged over time. This principle is of great relevance for the parties involved in disputes related to easements and rights of way.

The Context of the Judgment

In the case at hand, the Court upheld a judgment from the Court of Appeal of Bologna, which had excluded the partial extinction of a right of way easement, despite the narrowing of the road by the owner of the servient estate. This narrowing had been achieved through the installation of plants and the construction of a small wall. The Court stated that, although the use of the easement was limited, the right itself could not be considered extinguished.

The Principle of the Judgment

The partial use of the easement, even if prolonged over time, does not reduce its content to the limits of lesser utility compared to that permitted by the title, as only the right can cease due to non-use, while the greater quantity that has not been utilized by the easement holder is not a right but a component of it, so it is not susceptible to extinction. (In this case, the Supreme Court confirmed the judgment on the merits that had excluded the extinction, even if only partial, of the right of way easement due to a narrowing of the road used to exercise it, carried out by the owner of the servient estate through the placement of plants and the construction of a small wall).

Legal and Regulatory Implications

This ruling is based on provisions of the Italian Civil Code, particularly Articles 1073, 1074, and 1075, which govern easements. The Court clarified that the partial use of the easement does not lead to its extinction, but rather a limitation in the exercise of the right, which remains valid and active. Therefore, easement holders must be aware that any physical limitations cannot diminish their original right, except in cases of extinction due to prolonged non-use.

  • The right of way easement remains valid even in the case of partial use.
  • Physical limitations do not extinguish the easement right.
  • Non-use does not result in the extinction of the right, but only a temporary limitation of it.
Bianucci Law Firm