Which statement about restrictive covenants is true?

• A. It places a duty on the owner to prevent certain events, such as not to build above a height
• B. It requires the owner to maintain fences
• C. It relates to mortgage terms
• D. It grants a right to light

Answer: (D)

Restrictive covenants are negative promises attached to land that restrict what the owner may or may not do. They bind future owners and run with the land, limiting how it can be used.

A duty not to build above a certain height fits that pattern perfectly: it imposes a restriction on the landowner’s development, rather than creating a new right for someone else. By promising not to carry out that action, the covenant controls future use of the property.

In contrast, a requirement to maintain fences is more about ongoing upkeep and could be seen as a positive covenant or simply a maintenance obligation, which is a different type of covenant. A covenant relating to mortgage terms isn’t about land use at all—it's a loan agreement rather than a land-use restriction. A right to light is an easement, not a restrictive covenant, because it grants a ongoing right to receive light over neighboring land rather than restricting the owner’s actions on their own land.

So, restrictive covenants are about placing a duty on the landowner to refrain from certain actions, such as building above a specified height.