Your home is not just a source of personal pride but also probably your most valuable personal asset. Every square inch of your home and square foot of your yard contributes to your standard of living and the overall value of the property.
Having good neighbors and maintaining strong relationships with them can also contribute to your quality of life. Unfortunately, your neighbor could potentially put your home value and property rights at risk. If they believe the boundary falls somewhere on your property rather than where you believe the boundary falls, the discrepancy could cause serious issues.
Especially if you or your neighbor want to install a fence, expand your home or have your driveway paved, a boundary dispute could mean delays and additional expenses. How do you resolve a disagreement about property lines with your neighbor?
Review your title paperwork
If both of you have some of your paperwork from when you purchased your home, you can look at the property description for your parcel. Sometimes, you may be able to determine from the description exactly where the boundary is. Other times, the description will be detailed and involve complex measurements, meaning you will not be able to verify the boundary placements on your own.
Bring in a surveyor to determine the correct boundary
There are professionals with training on how to use specialized measuring equipment and an understanding of how to interpret the sometimes confusing language used in the legal description of a parcel.
Licensed surveyors measure properties and help mark boundaries so that there is no confusion about where one person’s property starts and someone else’s property ends. You could split the cost to bring in a professional. However, it might be worth paying for all on your own if your neighbor refuses to contribute just to resolve the matter.
You may need to litigate in some cases
Unfortunately, even when you know exactly where the boundary for your property falls, your neighbor might still violate it and your ownership rights. They might put a fence up that encroaches on your property or tear down the fence you installed right where it belongs.