Table of Contents
When purchasing real estate, you obtain a series of rights associated with it. One of the rights that can often be unknown or overlooked is the concept of «surface rights».
¿Qué son los «Surface Rights»?
Los «surface rights» se refieren a los rights to use the surface of the earth. These rights include actions such as building on it, cultivating it, walking on it or carrying out any other use that takes place on its surface.
«Subsurface Rights» vs. «Surface Rights»
Mientras que los «surface rights» conciernen a la superficie de la tierra, existe otro conjunto de derechos denominados «subsurface rights». Estos representan los rights to natural resources found below the surface such as minerals, groundwater, oil and gas.
Es interesante destacar que un propietario puede transferir los «subsurface rights» sin necesidad de transferir los «surface rights». Por ejemplo, un propietario podría vender sus derechos sobre el petróleo y el gas en su terreno a una compañía petrolera, pero remains the owner of the land itself.
Conclusion
Owning real estate involves more than just the visible use on the surface. There are different rights layers associated with each parcel of land and it is essential to understand them to maximize the value and use of a property, as well as to avoid legal conflicts.
