"Title company basically shrugged and said 'yep, that's a thing,' and we had to lawyer up too."
Had a similar issue pop up years ago, but honestly, lawyering up isn't always the best move. My neighbor and I just hashed it out over coffee—turned out he didn't even know the easement existed. Sometimes a friendly chat can save you a lot of headaches (and cash). Lawyers have their place, sure, but they're not always the first step I'd recommend...
Yeah, sometimes a simple conversation can clear things up, but honestly, some neighbors aren't exactly coffee-chat material...lol. Good on you for sorting it out peacefully though—wish mine had been that chill.
"honestly, some neighbors aren't exactly coffee-chat material...lol."
Haha, true enough. I've found that even if you're not on chatting terms, having a clear understanding of property boundaries can save you headaches later. When I moved in, I pulled up the official plat map from the county website—it's usually free and pretty detailed. Cross-checking that with your deed can clarify exactly what's yours and what's shared. Might seem tedious at first, but trust me, it's worth it to avoid disputes down the road.
Haha, yeah, neighbors can definitely be hit or miss. When we refinanced our place a couple years back, the bank actually required an updated survey. At first, I thought it was just another annoying hoop to jump through, but it turned out to be pretty eye-opening. We discovered that part of our fence was technically on the neighbor's property by about a foot—luckily, they were cool about it, but I've heard stories where things got messy fast.
Honestly, even if you're not refinancing or selling anytime soon, getting a professional survey done every decade or so isn't a bad idea. Property lines can shift slightly over time due to landscaping, fences, or even just misunderstandings from previous owners. Better to catch it early than deal with drama later...especially if your neighbors aren't exactly the friendly-chat-over-coffee types, haha.
Good point about surveys. Had a similar issue a few years back—thought I knew exactly where my property ended until the new survey showed otherwise. Ended up having to move a shed...not fun. Honestly, it's worth the peace of mind to double-check every now and then. Better safe than sorry, especially if you're planning any improvements or landscaping projects down the line.
