An owner can hold property that is also subject to someone else's claim or right. Encumbrance is the broader category for burdens or claims affecting property. Watch the category divide. A lien can secure a debt. An easement can give another person a limited use right. Both can affect the owner's property, but they do different jobs. A driveway easement is our example of a nonfinancial encumbrance. It allows the permitted use without automatically transferring ownership of the strip. Identify the actual right or restriction instead of assuming every encumbrance is a debt. Quick check: is every encumbrance a lien? No. A lien is one type of encumbrance. An easement is another.