Your real property may be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, even if the land you own is only a fraction of an acre. Although you may focus on the home where you live, your yard is valuable as well. Your outdoor space will be as important as the improvements you build on the land in terms of how much you enjoy your property and the overall value of your real estate.
You may think that you know exactly where your property starts and your neighbor’s property ends. Unfortunately, sometimes there can be disagreements about how much of the property is actually yours that can strain your relationship with your neighbor.
If you and your neighbor currently disagree about where your boundary falls, there could be big issues in your future. They might install a fence that falls on your side of the property line or make promises to buyers when selling their home that will damage your relationship with your new neighbors. How do you settle a boundary dispute?
Review your deeds and tax documents
Both of your properties should have a legal description that describes the size of your parcel and the placement of your boundaries. Sometimes going over your documents and comparing them is all that is necessary for the two of you to settle your disagreement.
In some cases, one of you may have received inaccurate information from the previous owner of the property or misremembered the boundary established in the legal description for your property.
Bring in a surveyor
When your documents seemingly contradict each other’s paperwork or neither of you can decipher the legal descriptions for your properties, you may need to bring in professional help.
Licensed surveyors have both the education and the specialized tools necessary to establish the exact placement of the boundary between your property. They can place markers that will serve as a long-term reminder of where your property ends and where your neighbor’s property begins.
In cases where one neighbor encroaches on the other’s property, it may sometimes be necessary to go to court. Understanding the simplest ways to resolve boundary disputes can help those unsure of where their exact boundary falls.
