What is a non-possessory interest in a property that burdens the title known as?

A non-possessory interest in a property that burdens the title is known as an easement. An easement grants one party the right to use a portion of another party's property for a specific purpose, such as access to a road or utility lines, without transferring ownership of the land. This means that while the property owner retains ownership, they cannot impede the easement holder's use of the property as granted by the easement agreement.

The key aspect of this definition is that an easement does not provide ownership or possession of the property; rather, it creates a right to use the property in a specified manner, thus representing a burden on the title for the property owner. It is essential to recognize that easements can exist for many reasons, including utility easements, right-of-way easements, and conservation easements, among others.

In contrast, liability typically refers to legal responsibility for a debt or obligation, foreclosure pertains to a lender taking possession of a property when a borrower defaults, and encroachment involves a situation where a part of a property intrudes upon another property without permission. Each of these concepts is distinct from the notion of an easement, which specifically defines a type of non-possessory interest.