Boundary disputes may refer to several different issues. Neighbours may have conflicting opinions on where the boundary line between their properties lies, or a party may be knowingly crossing a boundary line. It is not always obvious where property boundaries are, and title information can be difficult to interpret.
It is a common misconception that the boundary between one property and a neighbouring property is a line straight down the middle of the two properties; this is not always the case. If you are experiencing problems, our boundary disputes solicitors can help.
At Preston Redman, we regularly work with clients from Bournemouth, Poole, across Dorset and beyond. Our team will be happy to advise you over the phone, via email and through videoconferencing, as well as in person for your convenience.
To speak to one of our friendly, highly experienced boundary dispute solicitors in Bournemouth, please call 01202 292 424 or fill in our online enquiry form for a quick response.
How our boundary disputes solicitors can help you:
Our expert solicitors for boundary disputes can offer support with disputes in many ways, to include:
- General legal advice on boundary disputes
- Legal support to review title documents to establish where the boundary lies
- Boundary disputes mediation service, helping you and your neighbour to amicably reach an agreement on the boundary
- Assisting you and your neighbour in creating a boundary agreement
- Representation in Court where boundary disputes cannot be solved with alternative dispute resolution
General legal advice on boundary disputes
Our solicitors offer invaluable assistance in boundary dispute resolution by providing clear and practical legal advice.
We can help you understand your rights and obligations regarding your property boundaries, offering guidance on relevant laws and regulations.
Our boundary dispute solicitors also have experience mediating discussions between disputing parties, aiming for amicable resolutions.
We have supported clients with addressing issues such as encroachments or disagreements over property lines in court, helping to resolve matters as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Once parties have reached an agreement, we can help formalise this by creating a boundary agreement, preventing disputes from reoccurring in the future.
Legal support to review title documents to establish where the boundary lies
Our boundary dispute solicitors can help you review the title documents of your property to determine the property boundaries.
We have experience examining title deeds, surveys, and other legal documents to determine the exact location of boundaries.
We can interpret these legal documents on your behalf and provide clear evidence of your boundary lines.
This helps our clients understand their property rights and resolve disputes effectively.
Boundary disputes mediation service, helping you and your neighbour to amicably reach an agreement on the boundary
Our solicitors provide invaluable support in boundary dispute mediation, facilitating amicable agreements between neighbours.
We act as impartial mediators, guiding discussions to find mutually beneficial solutions. Our boundary dispute solicitors can help clarify misunderstandings and provide evidence to settle disputes over the location of boundary lines.
Our expertise in conflict resolution ensures that agreements are legally sound and provide long-term solutions. We aim to resolve boundary disputes peacefully, preserving neighbourly relationships and avoiding costly litigation, where possible.
Assisting you and your neighbour in creating a boundary agreement
When creating boundary agreements between neighbours, our boundary dispute solicitors aim to facilitate open communication and negotiation, ensuring both parties' interests are considered.
We can help draft clear and comprehensive agreements that outline property boundaries, rights, and responsibilities.
We will ensure legal accuracy and enforceability in your agreement, providing peace of mind.
By creating a boundary agreement, we aim to help neighbours establish mutually acceptable boundaries that they can use to resolve any potential conflicts in the future.
Representation in court where boundary disputes cannot be solved with alternative dispute resolution
Our boundary dispute lawyers have the necessary expertise to provide essential representation in court for unresolved boundary disputes. We advocate for our clients throughout the process, presenting evidence and legal arguments to secure a positive outcome.
We have extensive experience navigating the complexities of court proceedings involving boundary disputes, ensuring our clients' interests are protected. Our solicitors aim to achieve favourable outcomes for our clients whether through mediation or court proceedings.
Common questions about boundary disputes
What is a boundary dispute?
Boundary disputes occur when neighbouring properties are in disagreement about where the boundaries lie between their land. For example, if one neighbour has built onto, or is using, land which the other believes is within their property. A typical example would be party wall disputes.
How are boundary disputes resolved?
To resolve a boundary dispute, it is necessary to determine the exact boundary line between the neighbouring properties. Usually, this information can be found in the property deeds. However, not all property deeds will make this clear.
If the boundary line cannot be established by reference to the deeds, our solicitors specialising in boundary disputes can help. It is sometimes necessary to refer to matters outside the deeds such as who has maintained the boundary structures to date and the way that previous owners of the properties have used the boundaries. It is not uncommon to bring in a specialist surveyor to assist with the dispute.
Our solicitors for boundary disputes have experience advising on boundary dispute protocol and boundary laws in England and Wales. We are happy to talk you through your options and the processes to follow.
How do I know where my boundary line is?
When a party takes ownership of a property, that ownership is usually registered with the Land Registry, and a title plan is prepared based on ordnance survey mapping data to define the property boundaries. If you do not have the title plan, you can contact Land Registry to obtain it for a small fee.
Unfortunately, though the title plan displays the rough position of the property, it does not show the exact boundary line. The Land Registry title plans can be off by up to 1m either side of the boundary and are only intended to show the ‘general boundary’. This is known as the general boundary rule.
If you’re having a boundary dispute with neighbours, accessing the following documents can also allow property owners to establish where the boundary line is:
The Title Register: Including a title number, information about who owns the property, mortgage details, and information about land rights of way.
Title Deeds: The legal documents that are transferred from the seller to the buyer to establish ownership.
Our boundary disputes solicitors have much experience in supporting clients to resolve boundary disputes, ensuring that the boundaries between their properties are more clearly defined. If you need support to access and review these documents, please contact us.
What is a boundary agreement?
When resolving boundary disputes, one of the best options is to use a boundary disputes mediation service, and our solicitors at Preston Redman can facilitate this.
Where both parties can come to a mutually acceptable agreement, our solicitors specialising in boundary disputes can support you in drawing up a boundary agreement. This can either be a simple agreement recording the location of the boundary as agreed by the parties or a more formal determined boundary agreement which records the location of the boundary as determined by a surveyor.
Both agreements can be registered with the Land Registry to avoid future disputes and our boundary dispute solicitors will provide advice on which form of agreement is more suitable for your circumstances.
A boundary agreement may include the following matters:
- Establishing where the exact boundary lies
- Potentially agreeing the position of a hedge, fence, or other boundary feature and which neighbour is responsible for maintaining it
- Potentially involving the transfer of land for a newly agreed boundary (it is not uncommon for both parties to transfer small slips of land to reflect the location of an agreed boundary)
Why choose Preston Redman’s boundary dispute solicitors?
At Preston Redman, we’ve much experience helping clients to resolve complex boundary issues and boundary disputes with neighbours. We have expert knowledge of boundary laws in England and Wales and pride ourselves on helping clients to find resolutions as quickly as possible.
We recognise that boundary disputes can often be a symptom of an underlying clash with a neighbour. We tailor our advice to factor in the over-all circumstances of the matter to ensure that a cost-effective solution can be found, before matters get out of hand.
We understand that every dispute is different, and so we offer a bespoke service, taking the time to understand every client and their unique needs. We’ll always listen to your requirements and concerns and attempt to reduce conflict as far as possible.
Our boundary dispute solicitors’ fees
Estimated fees
At Preston Redman, we may be able to take on some cases on a fixed fee basis. However, due to the often complex nature of boundary disputes, the majority of cases are more suitably charged at an hourly rate.
Hourly rates
Most boundary dispute cases are charged on an hourly basis. This allows us to give exactly the level of support you require while you stay in complete control over the costs involved. We will still provide details of anticipated costs and review those with you at regular intervals.
Get in touch with our boundary disputes solicitors in Bournemouth
To speak to one of our friendly, highly experienced solicitors specialising in boundary disputes, please call 01202 292 424 or fill in our online enquiry form for a quick response.
