Property boundary disputes: Questions to answer

On Behalf of | Sep 19, 2017 | Real Estate Disputes

There could come a time when you find yourself locked in a border dispute with your neighbor. While you hope this doesn’t happen, it’s more common than many people realize.

With this in mind, you need to clearly understand where your property begins and ends. This is the only way to move forward with confidence.

Here are some of the many questions you need to answer:

  • Is there a fence ordinance in place? Depending on where you live, there may be an ordinance that governs the appearance, location, height and materials that can be used.
  • What’s the best way to understand your property boundaries? There can be no guesswork here. You need to order a land survey or review the subdivision plot on file at your county or city clerk’s office. The more detailed information you collect, the better off you will be.
  • What constitutes an encroachment? There are many answers to this question, such as if a person builds some type of structure, such as a shed, on your property. Even though you may not be opposed to the encroachment, it could work against you should you go to sell your home in the future.

A property boundary dispute can turn messy soon enough. This is particularly true if both individuals feel that they are right.

If you find yourself in this position, you need to learn more about your legal rights and the steps you can take to put this issue in the past. It may take some time, but you don’t want to sit back and hope that the problem goes away. This doesn’t typically happen.

Source: FindLaw, “Property Boundaries,” accessed Sep. 19, 2017

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