• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Wezaggle

The Garden & Home DIY Specialists!

  • Home
  • Latest
  • Gardening
    • Decking
    • Eco Gardening
    • Gardening Tips
    • Paints
    • Patio Care
    • Pressure Washers
    • Cats Deterrents
  • Home Improvements
    • Interior Paints
    • Painting and Decorating
    • Walls and Ceilings
  • Lawn Care
    • Fake Grass
    • Weeds
    • Garden Hoses
  • Hot Tubs
    • Best Hot Tubs
    • Helsinki Lay-Z-Spa
    • Miami Lay-Z-Spa
    • Monaco Lay-Z-Spa
    • Vegas Lay-Z-Spa
    • Palm Springs
    • MSpa Alpine
Home » Fences & Boundaries » Boundary Disputes: Has Your Neighbour Put Up A Fence On Your Property?

Boundary Disputes: Has Your Neighbour Put Up A Fence On Your Property?

Fences & Boundaries · 2 September 2020

A boundary dispute is one of the most common disputes here in the UK. A boundary dispute generally happens when a neighbour puts up a fence or wall marking out their boundary without confirming with the neighbours.

Boundary Disputes & Solutions
Boundary Disputes & Solutions

Another popular boundary grab is when a neighbour sells a property and another neighbour erects a fence overnight outlining their “NEW” boundary lines!

This type of behaviour can quickly deteriorate into a neighbour dispute, which will include court costs with chartered surveyors and solicitor fees!

In this guide, we are going to share our experience when it comes to outlining your boundary wall with your neighbour and what to do if you have a neighbour that has grabbed land not belonging to them.

Page Contents

  • 1 Before Erecting A Fence!
  • 2 Common Boundary Disputes
  • 3 My neighbour has erected a fence on my land!
  • 4 Disagreeing With Your Neighbours Chartered Land Surveyor
  • 5 Settling a boundary dispute
  • 6 After A Boundary Dispute Ruling
  • 7 How Long Does A Boundary Dispute Take?
  • 8 Boundary Dispute Discussions

Before Erecting A Fence!

If you and your neighbour are on good terms then we suggest you share your plans with your neighbour. You should approach your neighbour and explain you want to fence off your garden/land area.

You can use a string line and stakes to come to an agreement before you erect the fence or brick wall.

If you have the land registry plans or house deeds at hand they will give you a better understanding of where the boundary walls should fall.

  1. Use stakes and a string line for accuracy
  2. Order your land registry for comparison
  3. Compare your boundary with the deeds and land registry
  4. Agree with your neighbour before erecting your fence
  5. Take pictures of the boundary lines you have agreed upon
HM Land Registry Example
HM Land Registry Example

Common Boundary Disputes

When the removal of trees or bushes is replaced with a fence is the number one cause of boundary disputes. Another common dispute is a new driveway and/or out builds such as sheds and garages.

If your neighbour has erected a fence DO NOT try and remove it because you will cause a confrontation or in many cases be arrested for criminal damage or breach of the peace!

Wezaggle Boundary Disputes!

The best thing you can do is follow our guide and keep calm. Nothing will come of you ripping down your neighbour’s fence or arguing with your neighbour in the street!

Just explain the boundary is wrong and it will be disputed in court if need be! Sometimes an initial solicitor letter and a copy of the deeds and a chartered surveyor report will persuade your neighbours to correct the mistake and then you can come to an agreement!

ENGLAND & WALES BOUNDARY LAW HANDBOOK
ENGLAND & WALES BOUNDARY LAW HANDBOOK

My neighbour has erected a fence on my land!

If you have discovered a fence you believe to be on your property then you will need to dispute the claims made by your neighbour. You should first take any pictures and start building a case if the dispute ends up in court.

  1. Take pictures of the new fence
  2. Order the land registry for you property
  3. Deeds will also have boundary lines (measurements)
  4. Speak with your neighbour and explain your dispute
  5. Hire a chartered land surveyor and have everything needed for them to carry out a survey of your property (1,2 & 3)

Once you have reached this point you will have a more definite answer as to your boundary lines. If your chartered surveyor has disputed the fence then you should move onto the next level and contact a solicitor.

Disagreeing With Your Neighbours Chartered Land Surveyor

In many cases, the chartered land surveyors for each neighbour will dispute each other’s claims. If this is the case and you cannot agree with your neighbour on their findings then you should go ahead and have a judge rule on the boundary rules.

  1. A chartered land surveyors report is not the law
  2. If your neighbour still disputes their report then a court case is needed for clarification on the boundary walls.
Neighbour Disputes - Law and Practises
Neighbour Disputes – Law and Practises

Settling a boundary dispute

Your solicitor will note the FACTS and correspond with your neighbours on your behalf. Generally, this is when your neighbour will remove the fence or double down and a court case will be noted.

Make sure you keep all land documents, surveyor reports, pictures and even dates of any discussions with your neighbour. These are all the things that will conclude the court case ruling!

After A Boundary Dispute Ruling

Once a judge has settled the boundary dispute through the facts and expert experience, you must adhere to these laws. If the judge ruled in your favour then be courteous and you can start correcting any fences, sheds or buildings on your property!

How Long Does A Boundary Dispute Take?

Disputes can take a few years to complete, all parties need to collect information and surveys for the case to come to a conclusion! But the majority of the time it takes a few months for land surveyors to conclude on the information provided.

If your neighbour is reasonable they will agree with the surveyor and there will be no need for expensive solicitors and court costs! On average only around 20% will need a court ruling!

Boundary Dispute Discussions

We love to help our readers and share any experiences we have for other readers having the same boundary issues! Ask a question or let us know your own experience when it comes to neighbours and land disputes!

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)

More From Wezaggle!

Filed Under: Fences & Boundaries

Wezaggle

At Wezaggle we are all about home improvements and outside DIY projects. We are a team of landscape gardeners, carpenters and general builders who share their advice and experience from working in the trade for many years! We have over 40 years of experience and report on the many products, guides and tips we have experienced over the years!

Are you looking for quick DIY advice from an experienced tradesperson? Then feel free to ask here and receive a response ASAP! submit your questions here.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. ray zurek says

    2 October 2020 at 4:25 am

    my neighbour has sold her house 2 years ago and the new owner pulled the house down and
    subdivided the block had it surveyed and now tells me that 30cm of my concrete driveway are on his land. Most of the houses have been here for over 50 years and all were happy with the existing boundry even though they are out by approx. 30cm. Do I have to dig up my driveway and shift my carport?

    Reply
    • Wezaggle says

      2 October 2020 at 5:15 pm

      Hey Ray,

      It does sound like your driveway was there before they moved. If it’s confirmed to be on the property by a registered surveyor then you will have to move it. But, you do not have to do anything unless under a court order. 30cm is a lot to get wrong.

      Hope it works out for you

      Reply
  2. Lorraine Ryan says

    20 March 2021 at 1:06 pm

    we bought a property over 4 years ago and when clearing the garden we clear right to the fence that was on the adjoining property at the back (back to back). We have since had the garden landscaped to the fence, including a raised rockery as the property is lower than the one at the back.
    Last year new people bought the property at the back and is now saying that they fence (erected by previous owners) is now 18″ short of their garden, claiming that the deeds state that we now have 18″ of their garden. I don’t know what is the law. He wants to take the fence down and claim back his land! We didn’t know as the fence was already there.

    Reply
    • Wezaggle says

      22 March 2021 at 2:50 pm

      Hey Lorraine,

      If the property was purchased like that why did the surveyor not notice it? You need to get yourself a boundary surveyor if your neighbour is disputing the border. Double-check your deeds and get an independent surveyor in case they take you to court ETC.

      Hope this helps and good luck 😉

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Recent DIY Articles

  • How To Build A Concrete Base For A Garden Shed?
  • Best Paints For Sheds That Protect & Preserve For Years!
  • The Best Decking Oils That Preserves and Protects!
  • Best Radiator Paints Based On Colour, Heat Resistant and Coverage!
  • How Do I Repair A Hole In Plasterboard?
  • What Is Container Gardening And Why It Works Indoors and Outdoors?
  • The Garden Shed: How To Improve The Look And Way You Use Yours
  • What Are The Best Inflatable Hot Tubs? Based On Quality, Size And Price!
  • Vertical Planting: What Is It? How Can You Achieve The Best Results?
  • How To Remove Wall Plugs? Easy To Understand DIY Techniques

Footer

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy

About Wezaggle:

We are the outside specialists helping you with DIY, Gardening & Tech in the UK. Wezaggle offers factory-direct decking boards, guides & reviews to help you succeed. Use the best and forget the rest!

Recent Discussions

  • Wezaggle on Can I build a fence next to my neighbours?
  • N. Sullivan on Can I build a fence next to my neighbours?
  • Wezaggle on Can I build a fence next to my neighbours?
  • Han E on Can I build a fence next to my neighbours?
  • Gemma on Can my neighbour remove the fence between our properties?
  • Wezaggle on Can my neighbour remove the fence between our properties?
  • Gemma on Can my neighbour remove the fence between our properties?
  • Wezaggle on How To Lay Artificial Grass?

Wezaggle On Social Media!

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Medium

DIY Improvement Categories

Important Pages

  • Home
  • Blog
  • Shop
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us

© 2021 · WEZAGGLE · Contact US

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.