California Real Estate Practice Exam

Deed restrictions are enforced by:

1. Consent decree

2. Desist and refrain

3. Indictment

4. Injunction

The correct answer is: Consent decree

Deed restrictions, which are limitations on how a property can be used, are primarily enforced through an injunction. An injunction is a court order that requires a party to do or refrain from doing specific acts. In the context of deed restrictions, if a property owner does not comply with the established restrictions, another party (often a neighboring property owner or a homeowners' association) may seek an injunction to enforce adherence to those restrictions. A consent decree is typically a settlement agreement in legal proceedings and does not specifically relate to enforcing deed restrictions. Desist and refrain orders are used in regulatory contexts, often involving securities or unfair business practices, rather than in relation to property deed restrictions. An indictment pertains to criminal charges and is not relevant in the context of deed restriction enforcement. Therefore, the means of enforcing deed restrictions effectively and appropriately relies on the use of injunctions to compel compliance with property use limitations.