Provides that the cost of maintaining and repairing or restoring an easement or right-of-way shall be shared by each owner of a benefited property and their costs shall be determined by and commensurate with the municipal appraisal of each property.

Rhode Island Bill: Sharing Costs for Private Easements and Rights-of-Way

This bill deals with how the costs of maintaining, repairing, or restoring private easements and rights-of-way are divided among property owners. An easement or right-of-way is a shared path, driveway, or strip of land that multiple property owners have the legal right to use — for example, a shared driveway that several neighbors use to reach their homes. Currently, there may be no clear rule about how to fairly split the upkeep costs among everyone who benefits from using that shared space.

Under this bill, every property owner who benefits from an easement or right-of-way would be required to share in the cost of keeping it maintained and repaired. Importantly, each owner's share of the cost would not be split equally — instead, it would be proportional to the municipal assessed value of their property. In other words, owners whose properties are appraised at a higher value by their town or city would pay a larger share of the costs, while owners with lower-valued properties would pay less.

This bill would primarily affect Rhode Island homeowners and property owners who share private easements or rights-of-way with their neighbors. It could be especially relevant in neighborhoods with shared driveways, private roads, or access paths. The bill aims to create a clearer, fairer framework for resolving disputes about who pays for upkeep of these shared spaces, replacing what can often be an unclear or contentious situation between neighbors.