Boundary line disputes can be a big problem when you’re trying to sell your home or purchase one from another party. Whether you’re trying to build a new property or want to sell what you have, it’s always important to know what the land boundaries are. When there is a boundary dispute, it can make it hard to do the things you want to do on your land.
You might not think there is an issue with something you’re planning to do on your property until a neighbor complains that you’ve encroached on their land. Maybe the listed property boundaries no longer match up to what you see in front of you. Whatever the case may be, it is necessary to resolve the dispute and set true boundaries, so you can continue with your sale, purchase or construction.
What should you do if you’re worried about encroachment?
Encroachment happens when a person puts up a structure that is intruding upon your land. For instance, if your neighbor builds a playhouse for their kids but does so over the property boundary, they may have part of that structure on your land. You could ask them to move it, or you could decide that it doesn’t matter and do nothing about it. However, in the case that you want to sell your home, you’ll need to disclose the encroachment. The new owner might decide that they don’t like the idea of someone else on their property and take steps to have the structure moved.
If you’re worried about encroachment, one of the best things you can do is to talk to the other party. If you think something that they have built has encroached on your land, discuss it with them and try to come up with a remedy. Perhaps they thought the boundary was somewhere else or that their structure was still on their land. You both may be able to sit down and come up with an agreement, so that you can avoid claims of adverse possession later.
If the person who created the encroachment won’t budge, you can take them to court over it. You could also consider selling the land to them, so that there is no further issue with them using the land that they’ve built on.
Boundary disputes could get out of hand, but in most cases, there are easy solutions that you and your neighbors can agree upon. Whether it’s selling more land to them, asking them to move an encroachment or giving them permission to use a section of land temporarily, you can find a solution.
