I have had customers tell me, “The property line runs right here… sorta”. “Sorta” just isn’t good enough. You need to locate your property pins or have an accurate lot survey diagram in order to avoid arguments with your neighbour and to dodge costly mistakes should it be discovered that your fence is actually on your neighbour’s property. Or be really disappointed to find out you had the fence built three feet from the property line… on your own property. Either way it’s a loss. You will either have less yard or your neighbour can make you move your fence. I guess if you want to give your neighbour the fence, if he wants it, it could save you paying twice for it by not having to remove and build it on your own property.
I once had a customer, we’ll call him Fred, tell me he didn’t know precisely where the property line was, but was pretty sure that it was where he said it was. He said he asked his neighbour, and that she concurred. He didn’t want to pay the few hundred dollars to have a survey done. Who am I to say they are wrong, if they are in agreement? We do what the customer wants, as long as they assume the responsibility and we abide by the bylaws. So we put the fence in. Guess who calls me the following year? You got it. Fred. He asks if we can move his fence about 14 inches onto his property. His neighbour was thinking of selling and had a survey done and the property line wasn’t where they thought it was. Poor Fred had to eat the cost of moving the fence since it was his and on her property.
It might not seem to matter to much now, not knowing exactly where your property line is. But as we have found out, it can come back to bite you. Always determine exactly where your property line runs.
