Landscaping, Fencing & My Neighbors
Early Spring through late Fall are our most popular time of year to get calls from homeowners looking to install a fence or new landscaping. We suggest that they contact their municipality to see if they need a permit or a survey before construction or installing a new fence. Unfortunately, many homeowners or their neighbors do not.
The most frequent calls we receive are for boundary line surveys and the conversation often starts with something like the following:
"My neighbor's trees or shrubs are growing over into my lot or overhanging my fence."
"My neighbor installed a new fence and it looks like it's over onto my side of lot AND I know they didn't get a survey done!"
"My neighbor built a [deck, patio, or pool] very close to my lot line and it might not be legally placed according to the township or borough code's setback requirements."
"My neighbor keeps mowing and weed whacking farther and farther over into my yard."
"My neighbor is a 'nut job' and keeps pulling out my corner pins."
It's definitely a source of stress for all parties involved and no one wants the situation to escalate to civil suit action, but is sometimes happens.
If you're looking to make improvements on your lot, it's a good idea to do your homework first. A visit or call to your municipality to see what's required is usually a good idea. You might discover that there are strict guidelines in place and, if not followed, could end up with having to pay fines and other professionals (like surveyors, architects, & engineers) to help you correct the problem.
Please give us a call or send us an e-mail for a free estimate for a property line boundary survey or any of your land planning needs. We'll be happy to help!
