In relation to rights to light, if the seller wishes to reserve rights for his retained land, what must the provision state about the buyer's rights?

• A. The buyer has full right to light over retained land
• B. Light rights pass automatically
• C. The buyer obtains no right to light over retained land
• D. Light rights must be renewed every year

Answer: (C)

The key idea is that rights to light aren’t automatically granted by a sale when the seller keeps part of the land. If the seller wants to keep control over light coming from the retained land, the contract must be explicit that the buyer does not acquire any right to light over that retained land unless an express easement is created. This protects the seller’s retained area from unintended light rights passing with the purchaser’s parcel.

Therefore, stating that the buyer obtains no right to light over the retained land is the correct approach. It avoids implying an automatic easement and aligns with the need for any light rights to be created by a deliberate grant. The other options would either grant an automatic or broad right to light, imply that such rights pass without express creation, or introduce an annual renewal, which does not reflect how easements and light rights operate in property law.