Fences and Boundary Disputes

Where one property ends and the next one begins can be important to your everyday enjoyment of your property -- and takes on particular significance when it's time to sell. Fences can, by themselves, be the subject of major neighbor disputes -- when to repair them, who pays, where exactly they go, and so on. But even if you and a neighbor don't really care about whether the fence is in exactly the right place, or who planted a few extra vegetables on which side of an unmarked property line, a new owner might want to know exactly how much land he or she will be getting. At that point, things might get ugly, with legal arguments arising over whether one owner has managed to lay claim to a piece of another's property through "adverse possession." Learn more about laws regarding fences and boundary lines, and how to protect your rights well before going to court, here.

Explaining to a neighbor that he is actually responsible for fence maintenance, either because it's a shared boundary fence or because it's shared property; and remedies if you can't convince him.

Fact-checking and negotiation are often important steps before considering suing a neighbor over property-line disagreements.

Shared payment for a fence is not required in every situation!

Contact your title insurance company if you're in a neighbor dispute about fundamental ownership issues like property lines.

If your neighbor constructs a spite fence, making the neighborhood look terrible and calling attention to the property, can you file suit?

The fact that neighbors are not actively "using" a portion of your land behind their fence would not stop them from asserting an ownership claim based on adverse possession.

A trespasser can sometimes gain legal ownership of land just by occupying it. Here's how.

The fact that neighbors are not actively "using" a portion of your land behind their fence would not stop them from asserting an ownership claim based on adverse possession.

One of the key elements in establishing a claim for title to another person's property using the doctrine of adverse possession, is that the trespasser's possession was actual.

Under certain circumstances, a trespasser can come onto land, occupy it, and gain legal ownership of it. Here’s where to find your state rules covering adverse possession.

New York state landowners face less risk of losing property to adverse possession than those in many other states.

As a general rule in Texas, one’s ownership of land must be in writing to be enforceable. You need a deed or conveyance indicating that you are the true owner.

How a trespasser can end up gaining ownership over a California landowner's property.

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