A Homeowner Found A Note In Their Mailbox From Neighbors Who Are Selling. 'Any Time A Survey And Property Lines Are Involved I Get Nervous'

A homeowner recently shared a note they received in the mail from their neighbors, who are in the process of selling their home. 

While the message seemed friendly, it raised some flags. “Anything to worry about? Sounds like nothing, really,” the person wrote, before adding, “but any time a survey and property lines are involved I get nervous.”

Title Companies And Fences Don’t Always Line Up

According to the note that was posted in the popular r/RealEstate subreddit, a new survey done by the title company found that the neighbors’ fence is slightly inside their property line at two points. That means there’s a small strip of land behind their fence, but still on their property, sitting between the fence and the original poster’s yard.

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“The title company is requiring us to get a boundary line agreement from you… stating that even though our fence is inside our property, you acknowledge that the small strip is on our property and you have no claim to it,” the neighbor wrote. “I wanted to reach out to you first before we send any paperwork.”

Reactions in the comment section were divided. Many saw the note as respectful and routine. “This is a friendly and respectful opening contact,” one person said. “The request is pretty reasonable, in my view.”

Others stressed caution. “This is NOT something you should sign without getting your own survey and discussing it with an attorney,” one Redditor warned. “Someone shady might send that when they just found out they are into your property for 5 meters.”

Several people pointed out that while it’s common to build fences slightly inside the property line, signing legal documents can have long-term consequences. As one person noted, “Your signature would just make it easier on them. Personally, I'd prefer to preserve my rights because you don't know who the new neighbors will be or if they'll try to do something funky with the fence line after they move in.”

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There’s also the issue of adverse possession. If someone uses land that isn’t legally theirs for long enough and the rightful owner doesn’t object, they can sometimes claim ownership. That's why title companies often ask for written confirmation of boundary agreements before closing a sale. “You cannot adversely possess that which you have permission to use,” one Redditor explained.

One person who had gone through a similar experience said their neighbor tried to claim a strip of land after a fence was placed a few feet in. “I had to take them to court because they tried to argue that I was abandoning that section of land,” the commenter wrote. “They had to remove their fence and rebuild on their property. It got ugly, but I got made whole, and they ended up selling.”

In this particular case, most agreed that the best move is to either do nothing or request that the sellers cover the cost of an independent survey and legal review.

“Say no—Tell them you will sign it if they reimburse you—up front—for a survey of your own, and a consultation with a lawyer you hire,” one suggested. “If they don’t, DO NOT SIGN.”

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