I had a question yesterday from a first time buyer asking about a survey and what was meant by an easement and and encroachment. Both items appear quite frequently on a real property report (graphic picture of your survey).
Easement: A legal right to use or cross (right-of-way) another person’s land for limited purposes. A common example is a utility company’s right to run wires or lay pipe across a property.

Encroachment: An intrusion onto an adjoining property — such as a neighbor’s fence, storage shed or overhanging roof line that partially (or even fully) intrudes onto your property.