Appurtenant easements cannot be used to access after-acquired land next to the dominant estate

The Massachusetts Land Court has reaffirmed and applied the traditional rule that an appurtenant easement cannot be used to access after-acquired property next to the dominant estate. Kent v. Roma III, Ltd., 2016 WL 6908191 (Mass. Land Ct. 2016). The court noted that the Restatement (Third) of Property (Servitudes) §4.11, cmt. b suggests that in exceptional cases, damages might be awarded rather than injunctive relief and use of the easement authorized upon payment of those damages, but no facts warranted an exception and a bright line rule was viewed as predictable and as a way to avoid lawsuits to determine whether use of the easement to access after-acquired land imposed a "burden" on the servient estate.