Most people think about neighbours in terms of people you wave at in the morning and wish them a good day. The problem is that sometimes things can get complicated- you may want to build something that creeps over their boundary or you may feel their giant trees are taking light away from your home and so forth. It is not an easy thing to deal with which is why it helps to get the right legal advice when dealing with boundary disputes.
Talk it over
First of all you should try to discuss things with the parties involved. If you know their objections it may be easier to discuss this with them and find a way to resolve this. In some instances it may be more appropriate to have a legal person involved as a mediator in order to help make these discussions a bit more amicable and to have someone a bit more independent offering feedback during those discussions.
Where possible people generally want to avoid going to court- it can be long and drawn out and there are costs involved that may not be necessary.
It is also fair to say this should be done as a pre-emptive move as well- if you are planning to make changes you don’t necessarily need to discuss it with your neighbours but it is generally a good way to avoid disputes. The neightbour can raise any objections there and then rather than having them halt any construction work in the process, causing delays and additional costs that could be avoided.
Check the facts
It is also worth checking to see what actually constitutes a person’s boundaries- for example if there is a path that allows access who technically owns the path? What may initially seem simple may not always be so which is why it is good to consult with someone before making a claim against a neighbour, allowing for a more informed discussion.
Making a mark
If possible people should agree to having some kind of marker that clearly indicates where one boundary starts and another stops, such as a hedge or a fence. This sadly can also cause complications ie some people may differ in opinion when it comes to trimming hedges, weeding and so forth.
The other aspect of this is to get an independent person to place the marks down independently and to make sure they can’t be moved as this has happened in the past and it can result in more disputes.
Get help
Sadly sometimes talk or mediation may not work- a neighbour may refuse to budge or accept any compromises. When this happens it is important to discuss this with an experienced legal representative who can give you the facts and offer guidance on what to do next.
If you are looking to resolve a boundary dispute or have any other legal issues to discuss contact our legal team now for more information and to help you make the right choice.