When you buy a home in Pennsylvania or elsewhere, you will also have access to a certain amount of land that surrounds it. Generally speaking, you can do whatever you want with trees, a shed or anything else that sits on that land. However, it may be necessary to move or demolish items that extend onto your neighbor’s property. Therefore, it’s important to know where your property line ends and how to resolve any disputes that may arise.
Start with a conversation
Perhaps the easiest way to resolve a boundary dispute is to have a civil conversation with your neighbor about the issue. This may be especially true if nothing has been built or planted that encroaches on either person’s property. In that case, you can work with your fellow homeowner to come to a consensus as to where an object might go before any time or energy is expended. If something does exist on or near a boundary, it may be possible to work out an agreement without the need to escalate the conflict.
Look at the pictures
The local government office may have pictures or other documents that establish how property lines are drawn. If necessary, you can hire someone to survey your property to determine where your lot starts and the next begins.
What to do if you’ve encroached
If you have encroached on your neighbor’s property, you can offer to purchase that extra land in an effort to settle your real estate law case outside of court. You can also agree to move a shrub, shed or another item that isn’t completely on your land. It may also be possible to come to an agreement that allows the item to stay until you sell or transfer ownership of the land.
A boundary dispute may strain relationships with people you likely see on a daily basis. Therefore, resolving the problem in a timely and amicable manner may help to prevent what may be a simple issue to resolve from escalating into a costly and adversarial matter.
