Covenants no longer strictly construed to reduce encumbrances on land but are now interpreted to achieve the intent of the parties

A New Mexico Appeals Court joined the modern trend in rejecting the interpretive rule that covenants should be narrowly construed, instead adopting the modern approach of interpreting the grant to achieve the grantor’s intent. Agua Fria Save The Open Space Ass’n v. Rowe, 255 P.3d 390 (N.M. 2011). When the language of the grant is unclear, “evidence of the circumstances surrounding the making of the contract and of any relevant usage of trade, course of dealing, and course of performance” is relevant in interpreting the government documents. 255 P.2d at 395.