Agenda

Registration:                        8:00 – 8:30 am
Morning Session:                8:30 am – 12:00 pm
Lunch (On your own):         12:00 – 1:00 pm
Afternoon Session:             1:00 – 4:30 pm

 


Easements and their Essential Characteristics                          G. Kent

   What is and is not an easement
   What is a right-of-way
   The dominant and servient estates
   Creating easements  
      • Express easements
      • Easements by necessity
      • Prescriptive easements 
   Identifying critical distinctions between easements 
      • Easements appurtenant
      • Easements in gross 
      • Affirmative easements
      • Negative easements  
   Maintaining easements
   Interfering with and overburdening easements 
      • Remedies
   Terminating/extinguishing easements 

Creating and Managing Highway Rights-of-Way                        G. Kent 

   Identifying potential rights-of-way
   Negotiating and valuing easements
   Rights included in right-of-way
   Landowner rights 
   Maintenance of right-of-way
   Alterations and encroachments 

Understanding Utility Easements                                                  G. Kent 

   State laws and regulations
   Types of utilities affected
      • Electric, water, natural gas, telecommunications, satellite communications
   Basis for and definition of the easement
   Encroachments and interferences
   Maintenance 
   Condemnation law
   Current issues involving utility easements  

Eminent Domain Law                                                                     P. Sever  

   Understanding eminent domain powers
      • Source of eminent domain powers
      • History of the exercise of eminent domain powers
      • Types of eminent domain “takings”  
   Just compensation: valuing “taken” property
   Privatization of eminent domain and other current issues 

Participating in the Condemnation Process                                P. Sever  

   Condemnation process for government use 
   Hearing and right of appeal 
   Valuing the property taken 
   Condemnation process for utility and other quasi-public use 

Credits

Attorneys
     6.5 Indiana CLE Hours
     6.5 Illinois CLE Hours

Indiana Professional Land Surveyors & Engineers
     6.5 Hours of Continuing Education

Indiana Title Insurance Producers
     6.5 Hours

Continuing Education Credit Information

This seminar is open to the public. HalfMoon Education is an Indiana-approved CLE provider for attorneys, and this course is approved for 6.5 general CLE hours. It is also approved for 6.5 general CLE hours by the MCLE Board of the Supreme Court of Illinois.

The Indiana Land Surveyor Board has approved HalfMoon Education as a continuing education provider. This course offers 6.5 hours of continuing education. The State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers has approved HalfMoon Education as a continuing education provider. This course offers engineers 6.5 hours of continuing education.

The Indiana Department of Insurance has approved HalfMoon Education as a continuing education provider. This course offers 6.5 hours for Indiana title insurance producers.

Attendance will be monitored and reported, as required by the course approval entities. Attendance certificates will be available after the seminar for most individuals who complete the entire event. Attendance certificates not available at the seminar will be mailed to participants within fifteen business days.

Speakers

Gary R. Kent

Meridian Land Consulting, LLC

Mr. Kent is in his 40th year with Schneider Geomatics in Indianapolis – having transitioned to part-time status in 2020. He also provides training, consulting and expert witness services as manager and owner of Meridian Land Consulting, LLC. He served as chair of the Joint ALTA/NSPS Committee responsible for the ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey standards from 1995 to 2021. He also served on the Indiana State Board of Registration for Professional Surveyors from 2004-2025 and is a past-president of both ACSM and the Indiana Society of Professional Land Surveyors. Mr. Kent has presented programs on boundary law, easements and rights of way, surveying standards and practice, and leadership multiple times in all 50 states.

Phil Sever

Sever Storey

Sever Storey
Mr. Sever is a founding partner of Sever Storey, with offices in Indiana, Ohio, North Carolina, and Illinois. Mr. Sever has been helping individuals, families, and businesses as an attorney since 1996. He is a founder and member of the Public Institute of Landowner Attorneys and Appraisers (PILAA), the Indiana State Bar Association, and the Indiana Trial Lawyers Association. Mr. Sever has a wide range of experience representing landowners. He has provided advice to landowners (both residential and business) in hundreds of large and small condemnations in both Indiana and Ohio. Using this experience, he focuses on practical solutions for his clients and holding condemning authorities accountable. As the author of numerous articles and videos on eminent domain and condemnation, he has taken the lead in educating landowners and attorneys about the eminent domain and condemnation process. Through his various associations Mr. Sever is currently championing the introduction of legislation to explicitly provide business damages as part of the eminent domain and condemnation process.