What type of easement termination occurs when a user stops using the easement?

The type of easement termination that occurs when a user stops using the easement is known as abandonment. This principle is based on the concept that if the holder of an easement shows a clear intent to relinquish the right to use the easement and demonstrates this by ceasing all use, the easement may be considered abandoned. For abandonment to be established, there must typically be a significant period during which the easement is not used, coupled with an overt intention to abandon the easement.

In contrast, termination by necessity refers to situations where an easement that was established for access or some necessary function is no longer needed, often due to changes in circumstances, such as property development or changes in land use that eliminate the necessity. Extinguishment involves a more formal process of legal cancellation of the easement, which may occur due to mutual agreement, fulfillment of the purpose of the easement, or when the dominant tenement becomes merged with the servient tenement. Expiration is typically used in the context of easements that have a set duration, where the easement automatically ends when that specified time period elapses.

Therefore, abandonment specifically deals with the cessation of use and the intention behind it, making it the correct answer in this