While few homeowners spend much time thinking about where their property ends and their neighbor's begins, when property lines are called into question, they can lead to serious disputes. Problems can occur when a property boundary reassessment—often conducted when a home and its surrounding property changes ownership—conflicts with where one or more homeowners previously thought their boundaries were. When these disputes do crop up, there are several ways to handle them maturely and productively. Raber Surveying, in Summerdale, AL, explains how best to deal with property line disputes. 

How to Handle Property Line Disputes

Communicate With the New Owner

If a new individual or family has moved into a property bordering yours, you want to make sure to keep the lines of communication open. If they have a different understanding of the property lines than you do, it's important to recognize the differences as early as possible, before the stakes are raised with construction projects that one party might perceive as encroaching on their land.

Consult the Deed

If a property dispute cannot be averted through an ongoing discourse with neighbors, then the logical next step is to consult the deeds to each property. Most deeds include a description of property boundaries and can serve as a crucial reference as neighbors hash out where exactly one owner's property ends and the other’s begins. One of the problems with deeds, though, is that many of them are dated and vague, describing property lines by citing trees, creeks, and other natural scenery that may have changed or disappeared over time. Furthermore, not all deeds even describe the home's property lines: some refer homeowners to older deeds for specific boundary descriptions, and tracking down all that paperwork can be challenging. 

Hire a Land Surveyor

If communication has not proved successful and house deeds are simply not clear or descriptive enough, you can definitively settle property disputes is by hiring a land surveyor. A professional land surveyor will track down the deeds, carry out lot line assessments, and mark his or her results with clear, indisputable corner markers demarcating property lines. Recruiting the services of a professional is the best and fairest resolution to property disputes. 

Homeowners and businesses in Baldwin County rely on the experienced land surveyors at Raber Surveying for everything from home renovations and landscaping to construction projects and office building site work. The team of surveyors at Raber Surveying specializes in construction surveying, fence staking, and flood elevation certificates, and always uses the latest, most advanced equipment to carry out their work. Visit the surveying team's website to learn more about their services, or call directly at (251) 975-7525 to discuss property line surveying.