In Louisiana, the term for an easement is what?

• A. Lien
• B. Fee simple
• C. Easement
• D. Servitude

Answer: (D)

In Louisiana, a non-possessory right to use someone else’s land is called a servitude. This term comes from the Civil Code and covers rights that burden one property for the benefit of another, or for a person. Servitudes are real rights tied to land, and they can be predial (attached to property, affecting a dominant and a servient estate) or personal (benefiting a person, such as usufruct, use, or habitation). This concept is the Louisiana equivalent of what many places call an easement, reflecting the civil-law tradition.

A lien is a security interest to secure a debt, not a use-right on land. Fee simple is full ownership. The plain term for this land-use burden in Louisiana is servitude, not easement.