Boundary Disputes

Boundary disputes occur when two people both believe they have the right to a piece of land. They often begin when one person puts up a fence or wall on land which another person thought belonged to them.

The best way to avoid a boundary dispute happening in the first place is to try and firmly establish the boundaries of the land before you change anything. Even work which you do not think will change anything could lead to trouble if you are not cautious.

For example, if you intend to replace a hedge with a fence, you should bear in mind that a fence will set a far more specific boundary than the hedge did, and this could lead to a boundary dispute if your neighbours do not agree with where you have put it. For this reason, you should never change or add a boundary divider without checking with your neighbours first.

Land Registry

In order to properly establish a boundary, you should first gather as much information as possible about your property and the properties bordering it. Consult your title deeds and obtain information from the Land Registry. This should give you some idea of where your property begins and ends.