Can you please explain this case?

Cloudy Hill Road runs through a part of the Town of Trent Valley. The plaintiffs consist of a number of people who own cottages that are located immediately to the east of Cloudy Hill Road. The defendant is Fall River Farms Inc, which owns a large farm immediately to the west of Cloudy Hill Road. The defendant also owns the land on which Cloudy Hill Road runs. The road has fallen into a very bad condition. The town has announced that the road requires significant upgrades. The plaintiffs are willing to contribute to the cost of repairs, but only if they have legally enforceable rights to use the road in order to get to their cottages. (Another road exists for that purpose, but it is very inconvenient to use.) The defendant, in contrast, refuses to pay a cent toward road repairs, and they have announced that they no longer are willing to allow the plaintiffs to use the road free of charge. The defendant's lawyer recently delivered a letter to each of the cottage owners. The important part of the letter says, "In exchange for a fee of $10 000, Fall River Farms Inc will grant permission to you and your immediate family to use Cloudy Hill Road for 50 years. The road may be used for personal purposes only, and the rights acquired under this agreement cannot be transferred to any other person." The plaintiffs argue that the defendant's position is unlawful, unrealistic, and unfair. They point out that they (and the previous owners of the cottages) have used Cloudy Hill Road for at least 40 years. During that time, the defendant never used the road for its own purposes, never asked the plaintiffs to pay a fee, and never even complained that the plaintiffs were using Cloudy Hill Road to access their cottages. (It also is true that Fall River Farms Inc never actually gave the cottagers permission to use the road.) If you were a cottage owner, would you accept the offer that you received from Fall River Farms Inc? What is likely to happen if that offer is not accepted? Explain your answer.

Is it related to an easement by prescription?

Are the plaintiffs entitled to pay for using Cloudy Hill Road?