Which Boundary Is Mine?

Since I was a child, before I even started my career in the world of Property Law, I was told that you are always responsible for the boundary to the left. Even now I hear this from a lot of friends and family and the truth is, this is a “myth” and is not always correct. I will explain why this may not be true in my latest blog…

Which Boundary Are You Responsible for?

The legal boundaries you are responsible for are sometimes noted in an original Deed or the original plot plan for the property, shown on the plan which accompanies this with an inward T. The boundary may also be described i.e. south westerly boundary, for example.

On some occasions there is just no mention of the boundary itself, it is assumed on these occasions that the boundary is a party boundary to be repaired and maintained jointly, at a joint expense, between yourselves and the adjoining neighbouring property.

However, in day to day life people tend to maintain the boundary as per the previous owners before them, this information is normally contained in the Property Information Form which will be supplied to you throughout the course of your transaction. However, if the property is being sold by an Executor or an Attorney, the usual Property Information Form may not be supplied as part of the sale and the information may not be known and you may need to make enquiries with the neighbouring properties themselves.