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I've heard many stories of property lines being moved simply by people moving a fence, mowing the grass, or building a structure. If no one has said anything in

by yosito 6y ago

I've heard many stories of property lines being moved simply by people moving a fence, mowing the grass, or building a structure. If no one has said anything in several years (exactly how many varies by jurisdiction, of course), the assumed property line can often become the legal property line.

R0b0t1 6y ago
In a lot of areas in the US (but not all) a period of notice is necessary. This precludes events where a neighbor steals property from another surreptitiously. In some cases if the land is "abandoned" you need to make the person who owns it aware of it, in others it is presumed if someone does not visit their land for 7 years they have no interest in it. (This is getting complicated and challenged due to the fact suburbs are popping up nearly everywhere and totally useless land may now be worth money.) In the case above simply demolish whatever the guy built. He tries to sue in civil court and fails because he had no right to build there.
mrweasel 6y ago
That happened constantly in the Danish country side when I grew up. My dad and grandfather had to check up on one neighbor in particular pretty frequently, otherwise he grab half a meter of our field every other year or so. Despite not having lived on the farm for 25 year my mom and dad are often brought out to help settle dispute regarding property lines. Technically everything is mapped out and moving a post or plowing a wrong part of the field doesn’t change ownership, but some of the maps are old and reference point are no longer where they once where.
asdff 6y ago
That wouldn't happen if you hired a surveyor. They don't go off of fences or grass, they go off of what plat map and the record in the planning office at city hall says about your deed. Banks and lenders might actually require another survey to happen before a home is purchased.

by yosito 6y ago

R0b0t1 6y ago

In a lot of areas in the US (but not all) a period of notice is necessary. This precludes events where a neighbor steals property from another surreptitiously. In some cases if the land is "abandoned" you need to make the person who owns it aware of it, in others it is presumed if someone does not visit their land for 7 years they have no interest in it. (This is getting complicated and challenged due to the fact suburbs are popping up nearly everywhere and totally useless land may now be worth money.) In the case above simply demolish whatever the guy built. He tries to sue in civil court and fails because he had no right to build there.

mrweasel 6y ago

That happened constantly in the Danish country side when I grew up. My dad and grandfather had to check up on one neighbor in particular pretty frequently, otherwise he grab half a meter of our field every other year or so. Despite not having lived on the farm for 25 year my mom and dad are often brought out to help settle dispute regarding property lines. Technically everything is mapped out and moving a post or plowing a wrong part of the field doesn’t change ownership, but some of the maps are old and reference point are no longer where they once where.

asdff 6y ago

That wouldn't happen if you hired a surveyor. They don't go off of fences or grass, they go off of what plat map and the record in the planning office at city hall says about your deed. Banks and lenders might actually require another survey to happen before a home is purchased.