A farmer's well has been tapping an underground aquifer for 30 years to irrigate crops. Under the prior appropriation doctrine commonly used in western states, which principle determines who has priority to use the water?
Correct Answer
C) The first user to appropriate the water for beneficial use has the senior right
Under the prior appropriation doctrine, the first person to divert water and put it to beneficial use obtains a senior right. The principle is commonly stated as 'first in time, first in right.'
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Related Topics & Key Terms
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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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