Boundary Disputes

All too often, a dispute arises over the position of a property’s legal boundary.

This usually involves owners of neighbouring land. In such circumstances, the first step is normally to view the Title Deed plan of the property, as produced by Land Registry. However, this plan shows the physical rather than legal boundaries of the property, and the general boundary rule applies in the U.K. This means that boundaries shown on a title deed plan, may not necessarily be accurately delineated on the ground. This can result in a boundary dispute and, unless this is resolved amicably at an early stage, it can escalate into a serious legal matter, which can end up in a court of law, with associated costs for both parties in dispute.

At Anglia Building Surveys, our Chartered Surveyors are experienced in this field and can assist in resolving boundary disputes by mediation, rather than litigation, in order to avoid the substantial costs that can arise, often because adjoining land owners become entrenched in their view of such disputes. A good surveyor can normally defuse the situation and act as a buffer between hostile parties. Alternatively, two surveyors, each acting for one of the parties, can often establish a legal boundary on the ground, by analysis and discussion and this usually resolves a boundary dispute, to both parties' satisfaction.

In the unfortunate event that a boundary dispute ends up in court, we can provide an expert witness service to assist, this involving the production of a technical report and the attendance at court to give testimony.