Neighbor Relations

[zzvyb6]

In my experience, your fence will only partially solve the problem. He will move it. He will do everything to keep your fence from setting the true boundary. And don't bother to go half on the fence. This is war. War is not about whose right, its about who's left. There needs to be a substantial boundary marker that is permanent, indisputable, and easily seen. Yes he will try to move, alter or destroy it. Have a lawyer send him a notice of intent to sue for costs, distress and punitive dmamages. If necessary, follow through. Otherwise, your property has become devalued for you and whomever would be foolish enough to buy it.

 

[MinnesotaEric]

In my experience, your fence will only partially solve the problem. He will move it. He will do everything to keep your fence from setting the true boundary. And don't bother to go half on the fence. This is war. War is not about whose right, its about who's left. There needs to be a substantial boundary marker that is permanent, indisputable, and easily seen. Yes he will try to move, alter or destroy it. Have a lawyer send him a notice of intent to sue for costs, distress and punitive dmamages. If necessary, follow through. Otherwise, your property has become devalued for you and whomever would be foolish enough to buy it.

Whoa, I don't think these guys are at the point of playing yard bingo and parking a fleet of rusty junkers along the property boundary to tick off the neighbor.

Fence, be nice, but firm and fair. No lawyers. No threats.

 

[square1]

Keep lawyers out of it, they'll be the only winners if they get involved. Be relentless in doing everything short of lawyers to keep this guy on his own property, including rusty junkers or boulders if needed. Do not give an inch!

My neighbor actually built a small shed on top of 6" pipe and would roll it a few inches at a time farther onto my property. He denied it when I confronted him saying the pipes were to allow air flow so the timbers wouldn't rot from being in contact with the ground. When I pointed out the 3" strip of green grass between the rollers under the side of the shed where it had been moved and the dead spot with no vegetation next the shed on the side closer to his property and the obvious indentations from were the pipe had been sitting that were now visible he turned 50 shades of red, started stammering, and stomped off in a huff.

 

[check]

Keep lawyers out of it, they'll be the only winners if they get involved. Be relentless in doing everything short of lawyers to keep this guy on his own property, including rusty junkers or boulders if needed. Do not give an inch! My neighbor actually built a small shed on top of 6" pipe and would roll it a few inches at a time farther onto my property. He denied it when I confronted him saying the pipes were to allow air flow so the timbers wouldn't rot from being in contact with the ground. When I pointed out the 3" strip of green grass between the rollers under the side of the shed where it had been moved and the dead spot with no vegetation next the shed on the side closer to his property and the obvious indentations from were the pipe had been sitting that were now visible he turned 50 shades of red, started stammering, and stomped off in a huff.

How petty and sneaky! I bet he cheats at Monopoly, too!

 

[turnkey4099]

In my experience, your fence will only partially solve the problem. He will move it. He will do everything to keep your fence from setting the true boundary. And don't bother to go half on the fence. This is war. War is not about whose right, its about who's left. There needs to be a substantial boundary marker that is permanent, indisputable, and easily seen. Yes he will try to move, alter or destroy it. Have a lawyer send him a notice of intent to sue for costs, distress and punitive dmamages. If necessary, follow through. Otherwise, your property has become devalued for you and whomever would be foolish enough to buy it.

And take pictures, pictures, more pictures, and date and explain every one.

Harry K

 

[MossRoad]

Keep lawyers out of it, they'll be the only winners if they get involved. Be relentless in doing everything short of lawyers to keep this guy on his own property, including rusty junkers or boulders if needed. Do not give an inch!

My neighbor actually built a small shed on top of 6" pipe and would roll it a few inches at a time farther onto my property. He denied it when I confronted him saying the pipes were to allow air flow so the timbers wouldn't rot from being in contact with the ground. When I pointed out the 3" strip of green grass between the rollers under the side of the shed where it had been moved and the dead spot with no vegetation next the shed on the side closer to his property and the obvious indentations from were the pipe had been sitting that were now visible he turned 50 shades of red, started stammering, and stomped off in a huff.

I'd have gone out at night and moved it closer and closer to his house. :laughing:

 

[Zerk]

I would grow a pair, before I put up an expensive fence.

I would start off just being assertive, and let it detiorate from their.

I actually like the idea of trees on the property line, as long as there are no building to fall on in 30 years. Maybe pound some t-posts until they get taller. I'd tell them the trees will be good way to keep things clear.

If he is moving trees back, I suspect he got the point he can't walk on you. I had some neighbors who kept want to use my property, I kept blowing them off. Saying I dunno, I'll think about it. Eventually relationship detiorated, cause of differences. But I sure didn't spend $4k on a fence.

Though live stock fence is cheap.

 

[FTG-05]

I appreciate the feedback everyone. I get back next weekend and I'll look into SOME type of fencing. In speaking with our town code officer, he said a farm fence housing animals can be ON the property line, but a farm fence NOT housing animals has to be 2' off of the property line. So if I put a cow/sheep out there for an hour a year, I'm good, right? :laughing:

I can tell he's trying to take advantage...and I'm not stupid, that's why I talked with the code officer (though my understanding of setbacks, etc. was already spot on). What I DIDN'T (or forgot to) mention is that he initially told me that he felt his property line went back an additional 20-30 feet and that the surveyor made a mistake. Even the code officer said that he would need to take that up with his surveyor and if there had been a discrepancy, I would have been notified.

Anyhow...I think I'll look into 5" posts every 8-10 feet and then decide on the wire/strands placement. Didn't want to spend the $$$ on this now, but looks like I'll have to. 720 feet of fencing will not be cheap!

720 feet of fence is probably by far the cheapest solution for this situation. All other options go far higher than that very quickly.

I would also probably order another survey of that specific property line. Make sure to use the same surveyor and inform him of the potential of a property line dispute so that he is very careful. Ask to mark the line very clearly, paying for extra bright orange fence posts, if necessary, (that what they use here) so there's no visual question as to where the line is. Then I would plant a fence as close to the line as legally allowed.

I would also talk to a local attorney and seek his advice. If there were any more actions by the so-called neighbor encroaching on your property, I would start sending letters via my attorney spelling out the consequences. Your neighbor is playing you. Don't play back.

 

[turnkey4099]

720 feet of fence is probably by far the cheapest solution for this situation. All other options go far higher than that very quickly.

I would also probably order another survey of that specific property line. Make sure to use the same surveyor and inform him of the potential of a property line dispute so that he is very careful. Ask to mark the line very clearly, paying for extra bright orange fence posts, if necessary, (that what they use here) so there's no visual question as to where the line is. Then I would plant a fence as close to the line as legally allowed.

I would also talk to a local attorney and seek his advice. If there were any more actions by the so-called neighbor encroaching on your property, I would start sending letters via my attorney spelling out the consequences. Your neighbor is playing you. Don't play back.

And when those orange (or whatever markers) are placed take pictures showing where they are in relaltion to identifiable permanent items. Neighbor (old lady) sold her small acreage. It was surveyed. Next day I could clearly see that two of the stakes on the East border had been moved. It was never challenged and the property now has about 1 acre more area.

Harry K

Harry K

 

[R_Walter]

As someone else pointed out property laws and who's responsibility to fence varies greatly by state. In rural NM if you don't want someone's cattle on your land, it's your responsibility to fence them out!

 

[Steppenwolfe]

Three years ago we bought our property in SW Virginia. 80 acres that hadn't been surveyed, if ever. I spent several thousand dollars to have it surveyed, t posts, and legally filed at the courthouse. One neighbor went ape **** when the "new" property line ended up literally 25 ft off of his house. He huffed and puffed, accused my surveyor of not knowing what he was doing, and made a scene. Turns out he never bothered to have a survey done when he built his nice, new home a few years earlier, cause he was too cheap. I told him he better play nice, or I would put my compost pile in his back yard, not to mention anything else I felt like dragging up there. Needless to say, he doesn't speak to us, but has respected the property line and leaves us alone.

 

[ultrarunner]

Folks had 37 neighbors with city lots adjoining their land on one side... a school and a park on the back side and a large landowner on the other side...

For the most part... they just lived with it... no fun when everyday is a battle... in the end Dad sold off the part of the property with all but two of the city lot neighbors... I could feel the stress level go down.

A friend had a buddy the did foundation drilling and they set sonotube concrete columns for corners 12' down... the neighbor pitched a fit and threatened legal action and then his lawyer had him pay for a survey and he finally learned it was never his land.

A lawyer I know was having trouble with his vacation property... so he sent a lease to the neighbor giving the neighbor the option to lease his land for grazing... that was the end of it.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

There's a property near me up for sale a few yrs ago, it goes behind 30+ lots. The house with it had a blue tarp on the roof for yrs. They were asking a totally ridiculous price, it never sold. I sure wouldn't want it with all those neighbors.

 

[Zerk]

I wouldn't spend money on a lawyer, at this point. Little has happened yet. I'd talk to the guy about the property line, since he thinks differently then you.

I was going to spend any money it would be on a new survey if he is adamant that sures is wrong. There may be another forum with a discussion how this guy thinks he owns my land.


Seems a lot of people on here have to much money. I have no problem with starting a feud with the neighbors. I'd talk to the guy one way or the other first.

 

[bcp]

In post #1, it doesn't sound like there is a dispute about where the property line is located. The neighbor just wants to use the Got2BTru's land.

Bruce

 

[Zerk]

It does sound odd to ask a person not to mow their property. But if it was some remote section, I can see saying, hey don't cut this on my account. A person may cut their yard just cause it borders the neighbors where they cut. It is not unusual for one neghbor to go cut his grass, cause the neighbor just cut his, and now his looks bad.

Also depends on where you live, but cutting someone else grass is not unusual either. You go a few more feet so you don't look like a prick. Now some areas people are strict about lot lines. Really comes down to if you got a rider or push mower.


Planting on someone else's property is an issue. But there may be a dispute on surveys.

 

[4570Man]

It does sound odd to ask a person not to mow their property. But if it was some remote section, I can see saying, hey don't cut this on my account. A person may cut their yard just cause it borders the neighbors where they cut. It is not unusual for one neghbor to go cut his grass, cause the neighbor just cut his, and now his looks bad. Also depends on where you live, but cutting someone else grass is not unusual either. You go a few more feet so you don't look like a prick. Now some areas people are strict about lot lines. Really comes down to if you got a rider or push mower. Planting on someone else's property is an issue. But there may be a dispute on surveys.

My neighbor sure doesn't mow a few feet over. He stops 20 feet short of the property line. Even if I beat him to mowing and I stop at the property line he still leaves 20 feet on his property for me to mow next time. There are still post up marking the property line, so surly he knows where the line is at. Maybe he decided to give me that 1/2 acre. I have mowed yards in the local higher end neighborhoods, and some of those old farts get pissed if you mow 6 inches over the property line.

 

[ultrarunner]

Good Fences make good neighbors?

 

[Zerk]

My neighbor sure doesn't mow a few feet over. He stops 20 feet short of the property line. Even if I beat him to mowing and I stop at the property line he still leaves 20 feet on his property for me to mow next time. There are still post up marking the property line, so surly he knows where the line is at. Maybe he decided to give me that 1/2 acre. I have mowed yards in the local higher end neighborhoods, and some of those old farts get pissed if you mow 6 inches over the property line.

Varies by area. Around here in the country, with riding mower, it is not unusual to take a few passes on the other guys side.