What is the doctrine of equitable estoppel?

The doctrine of equitable estoppel is a concept of California Water Law that allows a party to be held to their stated position or promise. In water law, this means that if one party makes a statement or promise in regards to water rights, they are then held to that statement and cannot later change their position on the matter. For example, if two landowners are discussing water rights and one party makes a statement that they "will not object to the other landowner using the same amount of water that they use," then that party is legally bound to that statement and cannot later object to the other landowner using the same amount of water. In addition to holding parties to their stated position or promise, the doctrine of equitable estoppel also helps to prevent cases from going to court by allowing parties to settle any disputes out of court. If one party presents a statement that they are bound to and it causes harm to the other party, then the other party can look to the doctrine of equitable estoppel to try and settle the dispute without it having to go to court. Overall, the doctrine of equitable estoppel holds parties to their stated positions or promises and helps prevent disputes from being taken to court. It is an important concept of water law in California and is important in helping parties settle disagreements without going to court.

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What is the doctrine of equitable estoppel?

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