Every state has laws on various common sources of friction between owners of neighboring properties: trees, fences, boundary lines, easements or rights to use, noise, animals or the right to farm, and much more. Because these laws are typically rooted in local custom and history, they—or the amount you can claim in damages after a neighbor creates harm to you or your property—can vary widely from place to place.
For example, someone who deliberately harms a fence or tree could be prosecuted under the criminal statutes in New Jersey or North Carolina, but not in Maryland or Illinois. And some, but not all states, protect farmers from lawsuits alleging nuisance based on the odors, noise, or dust that they create as a byproduct of agricultural activity.
If you've got a neighbor-related legal question, you'll need to look for a state-specific answer. Find the laws in major U.S. states below.
California
Florida
Georgia
Illinois
Kentucky
Maryland
Massachusetts
Missouri
New Jersey
New York
North Carolina
Tennessee
If you've got a neighbor-related legal question, you'll need to look for a state-specific answer. Find the laws in major U.S. states below.
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