Neighbor Property Line Problem.
 

This problem has been going on for years.Ive been hesitant about getting firm. Ive asked him nicely at least 3 times.I've had my property surveyed twice in 5 yrs by a very accurate surveyor. It involves my home owners insurance company saying there are liability issues if my neighbor continues to mow grass on my side of the line and gets hurt. Neighbor does this, it seems like because of the steep incline on his side.my side is less of and incline.He goes down his side and comes up my side. He has almost rolled his small lawn tractor at least once where I had to help him. Also after talking to an attorney he stated there is a law in Pa. about adverse possession. Neighbor could be mowing to try and possess this strip of land. I dont know. He has been a 'taker' for years never a giver,a little harsh but true. He isnt talking. Last Saturday I told him in no uncertain terms to stay off my property. He got huffy and smart saying he will get township supervisor over I said good I already talked to him. I have code enforcement officer coming Monday. I have my detailed reasons about a fence.This is a civil matter. Also his trees and bushes are 6ft onto my property which insurance company said are also liability issues. A fence has to be 2ft away from line. A wall does not,but expensive. A retired judge told me No Trespassing signs will not work. I though about 2ft to 3ft rocks as lawn ornaments. Anything I'm not seeing or thinking straight about? After my wife passed away 2 yrs ago I've been grieving then this issue. Thank you.

Post Warning Signs
 

You cannot enforce common sense.

Post no trespassing signs all around your property lines and you might have to have custom signs made stating that failure to heed posted warnings may result in injury or death.

Take a video and or images once the
signs are posted.

If you are neighbor trespasses
by mowing, and/or acting
with careless disregard for their
personal safety - take images/video
of the activity and file a criminal
trespassing complaint with the
local law enforcement.

Jim

Why don’t you just mow 5 ft on his side?


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I run into this often. I’m the zoning administrator for a small rural town, up the road from my town. It’s AMAZING to me how many people buy property and assume what is or isn’t their lot line, instead of getting a survey done.

Anyway, as much of a pain and the expense is, I would go and put that fence or wall up. It IS a civil matter here, so the town won’t really get involved. For now, until you get a fence or wall up, I would post the no trespassing signs and take a picture of them posted, even though they obviously won’t work, but show that you attempted. I would also simply call the police every time it happens for the same reason-documentation.

I had the identical problem. The neighbors were so stupid that even with steel concrete form stakes at the marker pins they continued to mow over on my side. I had the police out there more than once, sometimes it got quite loud. I had to paint the concrete form stakes white, as they ran over them when they were rust colored.

Ended up that we quit speaking, for years, this past year the drunk, doper, live in boyfriend died of complications from alcholism, likely liver failure. The womans son is just as stupid and did the same thing as the live in boyfriend did. I've since moved, and now rent the home on a land contract. If mortgage rates ever get reasonable again, I'll be rid of the albatross.

Get the police involved would be my suggestion, although the only thing that remedied my situation was me, moving away. At least when you call the police there is a report filed, and if it ever ends up in court, you have documentation. The police can also trespass him from your property, and arrest him once he is served if he fails to stay off of your land.

I would also video tape him when he brings the lawnmower on your property, you can likely do it from inside the house, if you don't want to confront him. With the invention of cell phones having a camera to document everything is fairly easy, if it goes to court, you have video to back you up.

This wasn't the only problem I had with these neighbors, they also sold dope from the house for years. The local village cops looked the other way when I reported it. Sometimes you ask yourself, why is it the bad actors seem to get away with outrageous behavior.............:noidea:

Funny thing is since moving out in the country with 4 acres, and virtually no neighbors, I still have trespassing problems. The creek behind my house is partially on my property, and I have ATV riders constantly driving up the creek during good weather, at all times of the day, and night. I'm working on some solutions for this problem currently. My house is about 100 feet from the creek bed, so we hear the coming before we see them. You should see some of the looks of entitlement I get from ATV riders when I confront them, and tell them they're trespassing on my property. I traded one problem, for another.................:mad:

Not sure how the law reads in PA, as I no longer live there, but in Ohio, if you mow the property for 21 years, and you also have to pay the property taxes too. This is the only way property can change hands in exchange for grounds maintenance. As long as the deeded owner still pays the taxes on the land in question, no one else can claim it. You'll have to do some research on PA laws to confirm where you stand.

Ask your insurance company for the remedy that would satisfy them as for liability issues. I believe you are free to remove any plants or trees infringing on your side of the property line. Maybe tire spikes placed on the line or just inside of it would keep him from mowing on your side and not be too expensive. Also maybe a strip on gravel along your side of the line would kill the adverse possession claim as he could not say he was maintaining the lawn there if there was no lawn to maintain and his mower would not like running through gravel. There seems like there is always one neighbor who has to be a PIA as that has been my experience in three different houses that I have owned.

I have an area where neighbor used as a turnaround.
Even tho police told him he was trespassing this continued.
I didnt want to fence that area,so laid down some utility poles.
He even called code enforcement,told them it was an eyesore(yea but it stops everyone from driving there).
Survey must be based off the pins first set,not what the latest equipment says.

Calling the police might not change the idiotic behavior, but it documents it if it ever goes to court. The one extreme is you do or say nothing, the other is you show you went to great lengths to prevent it. This can make a difference in court, so you want documentation.

I had to put boulders on my property line then a privacy fence. Neighbor was trying that adverse possession crap. fortunately i was able to put the fence right on the property line but i went 2 inches to my side.

I like the gravel idea, maybe tastefully accented with some boulders or big rocks.

K

Get Survey Recorded
 

Record your land survey at the
county or wherever official records
where you live are kept.

Update your land title to reflect
the survey and record the update.

If you post notice not to trespass
as I previously commented and
document trespass incidents
as criminal - the burden of proof
falls on your neighbor to establish
property ownership to avoid
criminal prosecution.

I wouldn't put any barriers or impedances
to their access - if your neighbor injures
themself while trespassing - they can claim
the injuries were caused by your malicious
intent - let law enforcement handle it.


Jim

Record your land survey at the
county or wherever official records
where you live are kept.

Update your land title to reflect
the survey and record the update.

Yep, first thing is to get your property lines recorded and entrenched in the local government. After that, technically a stake and strings should suffice for a barrier legally. I'd put a camera out there that watches the property line 24/7 and records it on something like a rolling 7 day loop. Lay a line of medium size stones that he would have to move to get around, or concrete building blocks .... anything where he would have to make a physical effort on your property to remove and you would have a recording of it. At that point you could pursue a criminal judgement against him for property damage, trespass etc. Bear in mind the Police will do nothing unless you personally press charges.

They guy mows some of your lawn periodically? This is the softest "neighbor from hell" story that I've heard.

The guy that lives behind me, now - I can tell some stories. There's going to be another battle in the war soon: every few years, I have to trim the trees on our property line that grow over my fence.

I talked to my insurance agent last Wednesday personally. (Co has been very prompt in paying wind damage,and slight flooding all fixed). Agent said there isnt anything written to show neighbor that what I said is true. I thought that was strange. My surveyor did send me an updated survey recorded in county.ive had stuff missing from behind my big garage. I'd say where did that go maybe I used it. One day I came home from work about 5 yrs ago. Neighbor I took that roll of concrete wire you had for my driveway. How much do you want? I said something not now, I know I should have. He has borrowed ladders,steel scaffolding ,etc. My father and I were always trying to help people. Now when I want something I'm getting the cold shoulder. So my Italian Irish is firm. I just want no drama.i. thinking the 2 to 3ft rocks and trimming bushes and trees back to line. I do no want to trim on his side, pine trees in road.this is about 208ft. Thanks guys. I just needed a 'banking board's. Code enforcement officer said he had neighbor problems,they were resolved,when the guy died. He is coming this afternoon.

Plant poison ivy on your property.
It’s good to have around for other things too.

Code enforcement officer had family sickness could make it. So he said he will be over someday this week.

Love the poison ivy idea, if you ever mowed over it you'll know what i mean

Put a garden in, even if it is only 2 feet wide. Plant lettuce, and if he goes thru it , take him to court.

Wire and post fences exist. So there's a valid reason
to have a long wire laying near the property line.

Completely unrelated picture below. :D

https://forums.maxperformanceinc.com...1&d=1714525239

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That used to be a mattress...😂