Harold owns a parcel of land adjacent to a private inland lake in Michigan. His neighbor disputes Harold's right to use the lake for swimming and fishing. Under Michigan's water rights doctrine, which of the following best describes Harold's rights as an adjacent landowner?
Correct Answer
D) Harold has riparian rights, entitling him to reasonable use of the lake's water as an adjacent landowner.
Michigan follows the riparian rights doctrine for inland lakes and streams. Under this doctrine, a landowner whose property is adjacent to (riparian to) a body of water has the right to reasonable use of that water. This includes rights to swim, fish, boat, and make other reasonable uses of the water. Harold's riparian rights arise from his ownership of land abutting the lake, regardless of whether he owns the lakebed.
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Related Topics & Key Terms
Key Terms:
Related Concepts
Condominium ownership involves owning a unit of airspace within a multi-unit building plus an undivided interest in the common elements shared with other unit owners. Each unit is separately taxed and financed.
In a cooperative (co-op), the building is owned by a corporation, and residents purchase shares of stock in the corporation that entitle them to a proprietary lease on a specific unit. Residents are shareholders, not property owners.
Fee simple absolute is the highest and most complete form of property ownership, giving the owner unrestricted rights to use, possess, enjoy, and dispose of the property. It is of unlimited duration and fully inheritable.
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