A property owner who is selling her land wants to control how it is used in the future. She might accomplish her aim by means of

A property owner who is selling her land wants to control how it is used in the future. She might accomplish her aim by means of

• A. an injunction.
• B. a deed restriction.
• C. an easement.
• D. a land trust.

Answer: (B)

To control how the land can be used by future owners, a deed restriction is the appropriate tool. This is a condition written into the deed and recorded in the county records, so it literally runs with the land and binds all future owners. It lets the seller specify what is allowed or prohibited—such as type of use, building height, architectural style, or preservation of certain features—and it remains in effect through transfers unless it’s properly released or modified. An injunction, by contrast, is a court order used to stop or compel action in a specific case and is not a standing, transferable limitation on the property's use. An easement grants someone else the right to use part of the property, which affects the owner’s rights but not as a broad, future-use restriction on the land itself. A land trust changes who holds title and who manages the property, but it doesn’t inherently impose ongoing use restrictions on the land in the way a deed restriction does.

To control how the land can be used by future owners, a deed restriction is the appropriate tool. This is a condition written into the deed and recorded in the county records, so it literally runs with the land and binds all future owners. It lets the seller specify what is allowed or prohibited—such as type of use, building height, architectural style, or preservation of certain features—and it remains in effect through transfers unless it’s properly released or modified. An injunction, by contrast, is a court order used to stop or compel action in a specific case and is not a standing, transferable limitation on the property's use. An easement grants someone else the right to use part of the property, which affects the owner’s rights but not as a broad, future-use restriction on the land itself. A land trust changes who holds title and who manages the property, but it doesn’t inherently impose ongoing use restrictions on the land in the way a deed restriction does.