What happens if an easement's exact location or width was never clearly surveyed?

An easement whose exact location or width was never precisely surveyed can become a genuine source of dispute later, particularly once the original neighbours who understood the informal arrangement are no longer the owners. Without a clear, surveyed description, both the dominant owner, who benefits, and the servient owner, whose land it crosses, may have different, honestly-held ideas about exactly where the easement actually sits and how wide it's meant to be.

Resolving this usually requires a survey, often supported by a new reference plan prepared by an Ontario Land Surveyor, to pin down the physical extent of the right, informed by whatever evidence exists: the wording of the original granting document if one exists, historical patterns of actual use, and any physical features, like an existing worn path or driveway, that suggest what was originally intended. Courts asked to resolve this kind of dispute look closely at this same evidence to interpret the parties' original intent, rather than simply picking a location.

If you're dealing with an easement that was never properly surveyed, getting a current survey and, ideally, a registered reference plan clarifying its exact location and width is a worthwhile step to take proactively, rather than waiting for a dispute with a neighbour or a future buyer to force the issue.