Dear Atty. Maan,

Our neighbor, who owns a lot that is surrounded by several neighboring properties including one of ours, requires a right-of-way to access a public road. He alleges that the shortest and most convenient route to the nearest public road passes through our lot.

Naturally, we objected to the establishment of the easement because it would cause significant damage to the two houses already situated on our property. In fact, he has other right-of-way alternatives, such as the existing bridge over a creek bounding his lot on the northeast, and a vacant lot.

Can he compel us to grant him a right of way?

Minda

Dear Minda,

Based on the facts you presented, your neighbor cannot compel you to grant him a right of way.

Art. 650 of the New Civil Code provides:

Art. 650. The easement of right of way shall be established at the point least prejudicial to the servient estate, and, insofar as consistent with this rule, where the distance from the dominant estate to a public highway may be the shortest.

If these two criteria (shortest distance and least damage) do not concur in a single tenement, the least prejudice criterion must prevail over the shortest distance criterion. Further, In the case of Calimoso v. Roullo, G.R. No. 198594, January 25, 2016, the Supreme Court ruled:

"To be entitled to an easement of right-of-way, the following requisites should be met:

The dominant estate is surrounded by other immovables and has no adequate outlet to a public highway;

There is payment of proper indemnity;

The isolation is not due to the acts of the proprietor of the dominant estate; and