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Property line dispute - Neighbor removed fence and took over my land.
Anonymous3 views3 answers
A relative is signing over 19 acres to me. Her and her husband originally purchased the property in 1988 and, in the past 10 years since he passed away, there have been several issues with the property lines. I know that one side of the property has a fence several feet on property belonging to a lumber company. The neighbor on the other side claimed that the fence there was also several feet on their property and proceeded to take the fence down. They claimed about an acre. My elderly relative did not fight them and could not afford a survey. Looking online at the property appraisers website, it appears that the land they claimed is, in fact, ours. I will be getting a survey done but am wondering about the legal options if this is the case. Can I get them to replace the fence?
Have the survey done. If they removed the fence from your relative's property and it was done relatively recently, you may have grounds (or your relative) for having them replace the fence. Laches will be in play here and depending on how long ago your relative became aware of the fence removal, you may end up replacing it yourself. If the survey shows the land to be your relative's, then you (she) should hire a real estate attorney to advise on how to best proceed with the replacement of the fence and any negative effects on title. As I commented below, Florida law requires that a party seeking to AP must file - within one year of taking possession - a "return" to the tax collector claiming an interest in the property. The tax collector then notifies the person on record as having paid the taxes to that point (usually the rightful owner) and then the seven year AP clock begins to run. If the neighbor has NOT filed the return, they cannot claim the property by AP.
Possibly. Be sure you have evidence. Depending on the time line, they may have a claim for adverse possession. I would contact a local real estate attorney as soon as possible. Time is not on your side and you may need to "Quiet Title" or get a declaratory judgment as to ownership.
I agree that you should get a survey. However, if the survey shows that the land actually belongs to you, do not tear down the fence on your own. Have a lawyer help you inform the neighbor that the fence is in the wrong place. You do not want a confrontation with your neighbor if you can avoid it.
