Home ownership is a source of pride for many in Charles Town. However, home ownership can cause headaches if you have a property dispute with your neighbor. For example, you may disagree on where a fence is built or your neighbor may claim that a shed you built is on their property, not yours. These disputes can lead to civil litigation.
Can you simply tackle a boundary dispute yourself?
It may be tempting to try to fix the problem yourself by tearing down that fence or shed. However, if you damage your neighbor’s personal property you could find yourself facing legal action with the possibility that you may have to pay your neighbor back for the damage you caused to their property.
What about easement disputes?
An easement exists when one person has the right to use their neighbor’s property in order to access their own property. For example, if you regularly cut across your neighbor’s lawn for many years, this may form an easement that will pass over to the next person to own your house.
Mediation can help with property disputes
People with a property dispute generally do better when the problem is solved in a quick manner. For this reason, mediation may be preferred to going to court to litigate the matter. In mediation a neutral third-party mediator will assist you and your neighbor in negotiating an agreement that resolves the property dispute. This can save time and money and can also be more satisfactory as both you and your neighbor had a say in the decision.
Learn more about civil litigation
Good fences may make good neighbors, but not when one neighbor alleges the other neighbor encroached upon their property. This post is for educational purposes only and does not contain legal advice. Those who are interested in learning more about property disputes and civil litigation may find our firm’s website to be of help.
