It seems to be an unfortunate fact of life that where there are neighbours, there will be boundary disputes. It doesn’t seem to matter what kind of properties are adjoining each other, how large they are, or where they are, eventually, many neighbours fight over their boundary lines.
Every year, thousands of people in Australia contact mediation services or even solicitors for help when dealing with boundary disputes. Those are thousands of people who are losing valuable money, time, and neighbourly goodwill.
The best way to resolve boundary disputes or prevent them completely is to contact a land surveyor in Melbourne. They will help you understand where the accurate boundaries of your property are and how to navigate bureaucracies.
Prevent Boundary Disputes Before Doing Work
Preventing boundary disputes from occurring in the first place will help you save a lot of money and preserve your neighbourly goodwill. The best way to avoid a boundary dispute is to know where the exact boundaries of your property are in the first place. Many people think that they know the borders of their own property but are operating on guesswork or estimates. The best way to ensure that your boundaries are accurate is to call a land surveyor.
A land surveyor will help you accurately delineate your property using a variety of tactics. They use physical equipment such as scanners and GPS trackers to map out the borders of your property. They will also examine previous records in the Land Titles Office.
Land surveyors use all this knowledge to create a boundary identification survey. This way, you will always have accurate knowledge about your property’s boundaries on hand. You can consult this survey before embarking on construction yourself or have it on hand as proof just in case one of your neighbours attempts to cross your boundaries.
Any licensed land surveyor in Melbourne can prepare a boundary survey for you. However, choose carefully, as you want a surveyor who works with care and diligence.
Steps Before Calling a Lawyer
If you believe that your neighbour is building on your property, don’t run to call a solicitor immediately. You can save a lot of money and maintain relationships by taking other steps first.
Firstly, make sure that your neighbour understands that they are over your property line. Since so many people do not have accurate surveys of their property, they might not even know where the real boundary line is. Show them your boundary survey as evidence, or hire a land surveyor to create one. Experienced land surveyors can also offer you advice on resolving property disputes.
Most of the time, once you make your neighbour aware of their encroachment, they will be happy to move their construction elsewhere. Sometimes, the dispute is more bitter. You still have options before calling a lawyer. Most local councils offer independent Community Mediation Services to help you resolve disputes with neighbours without the acrimony of a formal lawsuit.
These are also steps that you can take if you are the one accused of violating your neighbour’s property. Use accurate information from a land surveyor and independent mediation if necessary to resolve the dispute. If those steps fail, then you can call your solicitor for help.
Rules Around Construction on Boundary Lines
Understanding where boundary lines are located is not the only concern you need to address if you are planning to construct a fence or wall along your property’s borders. Be sure to take additional steps to show consideration towards your neighbours and ensure good relations.
Make sure that your neighbours know that you are planning construction well in advance. They should be ready for any noise and movement on their property line, as depending on the fence, workers may need to go on their side of the property.
You should also know your legal rights. Fences and other construction along a boundary line are legally the property of both neighbours. However, if you decide to create a fence, your neighbour is not obligated to help you pay for it.
Boundary disputes are unfortunately a common part of modern life. However, they can easily be prevented by getting an accurate survey of your boundary lines from a licensed land surveyor. A land surveyor in Melbourne will go through records at the Land Titles Office on your behalf and physically measure your land so that you have an exact idea of each boundary’s location.
Having accurate information on hand will help you prepare for any disputes that arise, although you can also call a land surveyor once there is a problem over the boundary line. Boundary disputes are often the source of conflict between neighbours. However, with a little accurate information, you can maintain good relationships in the neighbourhood and defend your property.