Property Lines Again

Expert, localized Los Angeles answers provided by Heather Roy

Property Lines Again
	Dear Edith: I have read your column regularly and not seen this problem yet. I am having trouble with my neighbor about property lines and fences. She bought her house almost two years ago, I bought mine just over a year ago. Our problem is that I had some work done and replaced a section fence using her gate post that I thought was on the property line. She now is accusing me of trying to steal her property. I have done a lot survey and have discovered that her gate post is actually six inches onto my property. It was put there by the owner before her. She is telling me that I have to remove my new post because she thinks the cement holding it up is on her property. Short of telling me to talk to a lawyer which I will be doing, if I have to. Any help you can give me so that I can settle this outside of court would be appreciated greatly.

	Even talking to a lawyer may not be much help in the end. Disputes about property lines are difficult to settle, and it's just possible that if your neighbor has a survey done, it might show the line varying by more than six inches anyhow. I'd recommend you contact professional mediation services (look in the yellow pages.) That costs a lot less than going to court, and it’s more likely to leave you both feeling like good neighbors
	Edith Originally published on September 4, 2005

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