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Boundaries: the Essentials
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Boundary myths busted
The legal background
Boundary Descriptions
Conveyance Deeds and Plans
Statute Law for Boundaries
Legal Presumptions for Boundaries
Legal Concepts affecting Boundaries
Understanding General Boundaries
Rights over Neighbouring Land
Practicalities
Walls & boundaries
Fences & boundaries
Hedges & boundaries
Boundaries of open plan gardens
Private Rights of Way
Other neighbour disputes
Investigating boundaries
Causes of dispute
Documentary evidence: boundaries
Using Ordnance Survey maps
Land Registry Title Plans
Investigating boundaries
How to work out where the boundary is
Home-buying and boundaries
Resolving disputes
Neighbour psychology & boundaries
Which professional?
Find a boundary surveyor
Find a property litigation solicitor
Agreed and Determined Boundaries
Dispute Resolution methods
Appendices
100 years of OS / LR Co-operation
Digital Boundaries in Eng & Wales
Reading List
Glossary
Site index
Links
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A Boundary Advisor Remote Consultation allows you to informally talk through with an experienced professional issues relating to your boundaries, your private right of way, or an easement that either benefits or burdens your land.

 

Go to our   Updates Archive   page to keep track of all the updates made since January 2014

 

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Site Index

 

  INFORMATION PAPERS

JMB31 - Finding your way through the mire of a boundary dispute
JMB32 - Documentary evidence for investigating a Boundary
JMB33 - Guide to Resolving Boundary Disputes
JMB35 - Boundaries Terminology
JMB36 - Why "Setting out" your boundary from a title plan is WRONG
JMB37 - Boundaries Essentials
JMB38 - Getting professional help with a Boundary Dispute
JMB39 - Why you should not use Land Registry�s title plans to establish the exact line of a property boundary
JMB40 - Using DIMENSIONS found in conveyane deeds & plans

 

  FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Boundary descriptions: I want someone with authority to come out and tell me exactly where my boundary is.
Boundary descriptions: Does the Ordnance Survey map define my boundaries?
Boundary descriptions: Can I scale from an Ordnance Survey map the true position of my boundary?
Boundary descriptions: Can I use the title plan to measure to my boundary from the side of my house?

Boundary Diputes: How do I resolve a boundary dispute?

Buying land: Getting proper descriptions of the boundaries before purchase?
Buying a house: How do I check the boundaries?
Searches reveal some of the land is unregistered.
target="_blank"Buying a house: Searches reveal the vendor is adversely possessing some of the land.

Dimensions in Conveyances and on Deed Plans: How accurate are the dimensions that are stated in title deeds?

Fence, age of: How can I find out the age of my wooden fence?
Fences, appearance of: Must the smooth side of my neighbour's fence face towards me?
Fences, appearance of: Can I paint my side of my neighbour's fence?
Fences, appearance of: What can I do about the unsightliness of my neighbour's fence?
Fence height: How high a fence can I put on my boundary?
Fence height: Can I make my neighbour reduce the height of his fence?
Fence ownership: Who owns which fence? Is it true that every house owns the fence on its left side, as you look at it from the street?
Fences as supports: Can I hang things on my neighbour's fence? - Can I use my neighbour's fence as a support for my own plants?
Neighbour's fence: What can I do when my neighbour won't repair his fence?

Open plan front gardens: Where is the boundary of my open plan front garden?

Title Deeds: Where do I find my title deeds?
Title deeds: Is it possible for me to see my neighbour's title deeds?

Title Plans: Does my Land Registry title plan define my boundaries?
Title Plans: Can I use the title plan to work out the exact position of my boundary?
Title Plans: Surely title plans must be right?

 

Index by Page Heading Home: the Boundary Problems web site Boundaries: the Essentials Boundary Decriptions     Historical Context     Making and Defining New Boundaries     Typical Boundary Descriptions     Boundaries of Unregistered Land     Boundaries of Registered Land     Comparing boundaries with your neighbour     Common shortcomings in boundary descriptions     Complications in defining boundaries Conveyance Deeds and Plans     What is a deed?     Where are your title deeds?     The parcels clause of a conveyance     Deed plans     Transfer deeds and transfer plans     Difficulties in relying on deeds for boundary definitions     FAQ    Title Deeds: Where do I find my title deeds?     FAQ    Title deeds: Is it possible for me to see my     neighbour's title deeds? Statute Law for Boundaries     Prescription Act 1832     Ordnance Survey Act 1841     Law of Property Act 1925     Limitation Act 1980     Access to Neighbouring Land Act 1992     Party Wall Etc. Act 1996     Human Rights Act 1998     Land Registration Act 2002     Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003     Legal Precedent     Civil Procedure Rules, Part 35: Experts and Assessors Legal Presumptions for Boundaries     Beaches     Canals     Fences     Foreshore     The Hedge and Ditch presumption     Hedges     Highways     Houses     Islands     Lakes     Railways     Rivers     Seashore     Waste land Legal Concepts affecting Boundaries     Possessory Title     Adverse Possession     Estoppel     Duty of care     Duty of support Understanding General Boundaries     Introduction to General Boundaries     What is a general boundary?     Explaining Boundaries Terminology     History of General Boundaries     Rule 278 of the Land Registration Rules 1925 Rights over Neighbouring Land     What is an easement?     Private right of way     Car parking     Right of Support     Right to Light     Water Rights     Wells     No right to sun or air     No right to a view Walls & boundaries     Party Walls     Boundary Walls     Retaining Walls     Building faces Fences & boundaries     Obligation to fence one's land     Who is responsible for erecting the fence?     How to find out who is responsible for     the boundary fence     Your neighbour's fence     Fences and boundaries     Fences and adverse possession     Replacement fence leads to confusion     FAQ    Fence height: How high a fence can I put on my     boundary?     FAQ    Fence ownership: Who owns which fence? Is it     true that every house owns the fence on its left side, as     you look at it from the street?     FAQ    Fences, appearance of: Must the smooth side of     my neighbour's fence face towards me?     FAQ    Fences as supports: Can I hang things on my     neighbour's fence?     FAQ    Fences as supports: Can I use my neighbour's     fence as a support for my own plants?     FAQ    Fences, appearance of:Can I paint my side of my     neighbour's fence?     FAQ    Fences, What can I do about the unsightliness of     my neighbour's fence?     FAQ    Fence height: Can I make my neighbour reduce     the height of his fence?     FAQ    Fence, age of: How can I find out the age of my     wooden fence? Hedges & boundaries     Rural hedges     Rural Conventions     What is meant by 3 ft RH on an OS map?     Example of a Devon Bank     Administrative Boundaries and Property Boundaries     Hedges in urban areas     Trimming hedges     High hedges Boundaries of open plan gardens; Shared driveways and parking     Making the boundary visible     Driveways and parking     Shared driveways     FAQ    Boundary definitions: Where is the boundary     of my open plan front garden? Private Rights of Way     Private Right of Way     Private right of way on foot     Vehicular private right of way     Repairing a private right of way     Varying and extinguishing a private right of way     Excessive user of a private right of way     Disputes over rights of way Other neighbour disputes     Your Neighbour's trees     Noisy neighbours     Smoke and airborne pollution     Rubbish     Contravening Planning Permission     When developers acquire land next door     When a developer encounters a NIMBY next door     Car parking     Other neighbour nuisance Causes of dispute     General Background     Technical factors in boundary disputes     Socio-legal factors     Psychological factors     A better way Documentary evidence: boundaries     Physical Evidence for boundaries     Documentary evidence: title register and title plan     Documentary evidence: conveyance deed and plan     Documentary evidence: Local searches     Documentary evidence: Sellers Property Information     Form     Documentary evidence: Sales plans     Documentary evidence: Planning drawings     Documentary evidence: Published maps     Documentary evidence: Vertical aerial photographs     Documentary evidence: Oblique aerial photographs     Documentary evidence: Family photographs     Documentary evidence: Archived photographs     Documentary evidence: Witness Statements Using Ordnance Survey maps     OS maps generally used in boundary demarcation     Scale, accuracy and perception     What is accuracy?     Relative Accuracy table for OS maps     Currency of OS maps     Selection and Generalisation of ground features shown     on OS maps     Map interpretation     Field numbers     Administrative boundaries and property boundaries     Use Ordnance Survey maps with care     FAQ    Boundary definitions: Does the OS map define my     boundaries?     FAQ    Boundary definitions: Can I scale from an     Ordnance Survey map the true position of my     boundary? Land Registry Title Plans     Title Plans show only general boundaries     What does a title plan show?     Understanding the title plan     What the title plan does NOT show     General Boundaries at Road Frontages     Case history - Title plan misleads when based on design     plan     Case history - transfer plan misleads Land Registry     FAQ    Boundary definitions: Can I use the title plan to     measure to my boundary from the side of my house? Investigating boundaries     Investigating boundaries     Believe nothing     Assemble the evidence     Evaluate the evidence     Draw conclusions     FAQ    Boundary definitions: How accurate are the     dimensions that are stated in title deeds? Psychology of neighbours in boundary disputes     Behaviour types     Boundary Disputes and Harassment     What is the real problem? Which professional? Find a boundary surveyor     What kind of surveyor?     Surveyor's skills     Finding the surveyor Find a property litigation solicitor Agreed and Determined Boundaries Agreed Boundaries Agreeing boundaries by transferring small pieces of land Determined Boundaries Dispute Resolution methods     Methods for resolving disputes     Consider the cost effectiveness of the resolution     method     Amicably negotiating with your neighbour     Amicable use of expert advice     Resolution using solicitors     Alternative Dispute Resolution     ADR - Mediation     ADR - Expert Determination     ADR - Adjudication and arbitration     RICS Neighbour Disputes Service     Litigation     Court - Adjudicator to Land Registry     Court - County Court     Court - High Court 100 years of OS / LR Co-operation Digital Boundaries in Eng & Wales Boundaries Reading List Glossary of boundaries terms Site index Links

Index by Topic, Alphabetical A    B    C    D    E    F    G    H     I     J     K     L   M   N    O    P    Q    R    S    T    U    V    W   X    Y    Z A Access to Neighbouring Land Act 1992 Accuracy (of OS maps), what is? Accuracy, Relative, of OS maps, table of Acts: Access to Neighbouring Land Act 1992 Acts: Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 Acts: Human Rights Act 1998 Acts: Land Registration Act 2002 Acts: Law of Property Act 1925 Acts: Limitation Act 1980 Acts: Party Wall Etc. Act 1996 Acts: Ordnance Survey Act 1841 Acts: Prescription Act 1832 Acts: Property Misdescriptions Act 1991 Adjudicator to Land Registry Administrative Boundaries and Property Boundaries ADR - Adjudication and arbitration ADR - Expert Determination ADR - Mediation ADR - RICS Neighbour Disputes Service Adverse Possession Adverse possession and fences Aerial photographs, oblique, as documentary evidence for boundaries Aerial photographs, vertical as documentary evidence for boundaries Agreed and Determined Boundaries Agreed Boundaries Agreeing boundaries by transferring small pieces of land Air: No right to sun or air Alternative Dispute Resolution Amicable use of expert advice in resolving disputes Amicably negotiating with your neighbour Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 Archived photographs as evidence for boundaries B Beaches, legal presumption Boundaries, documentary evidence for Boundaries: the Essentials Boundaries, General, at Road Frontages Boundaries investigating, Assemble the evidence Boundaries, Investigating Boundaries investigating, Believe nothing Boundaries, investigating, Complications in defining Boundaries investigating, Draw conclusions Boundaries investigating, Evaluate the evidence Boundaries, New, Making and Defining Boundaries of open plan gardens Boundaries of open plan gardens, making them visible Boundaries, physical evidence for Boundaries of Registered Land Boundaries, Shared driveways and parking in open plan gardens; Boundaries of Unregistered Land Boundary Definitions of Registered and Unregistered Land Boundary disputes: A better way Boundary disputes, causes of Boundary disputes, general background to causes of Boundary disputes, Psychological factors affecting Boundary disputes, Socio-legal factors of Boundary disputes, technical factors in Boundary fence, Who is responsible for erecting it? Boundary surveyor, find a Boundary Walls Buildings faces as boundaries C Canals, legal presumption Car parking Care, Duty of Causes of boundary disputes Civil Procedure Rules, Part 35: Experts and Assessors Contravening Planning Permission Conveyance Deeds and Plans Conveyance deed and plan as documentary evidence of boundary Cost effectiveness of the resolution method County Court Currency of Ordnance Survey maps D Deed, What is a ? Deed plans Deeds, Difficulties in relying on for Boundary definitions Deeds, Title, where are yours kept? Deeds, Transfer, and transfer plans Determined Boundaries Developers acquire land next door Developers, what to do when aencountering a NIMBY next door Dispute Resolution methods Disputes over rights of way Documentary evidence: aerial photographs, oblique Documentary evidence: aerial photographs, vertical Documentary evidence: conveyance deed and plan Documentary evidence: Local searches Documentary evidence: maps, published Documentary evidence: photographs, archived collections Documentary evidence: photographs, in the family album Documentary evidence: Planning drawings Documentary evidence: Sales plans Documentary evidence: Sellers Property Information     Form Documentary evidence: title register and title plan Documentary evidence: Witness Statements Driveways and parking Driveways, Shared, and parking Duty of care Duty of support E Easement, explanation of Estoppel Excessive user of a private right of way Extinguishing a private right of way F Fence, boundary, Who is responsible for erecting it? Fence, Your neighbour's Fences and adverse possession Fences & boundaries Fences, legal presumption Fencing one's land: Obligations Fence replacement leads to confusion Field numbers on Ordnance Survey maps Find a boundary surveyor Find a property litigation solicitor Fixed boundary Foot, private right of way on Foreshore, legal presumption Frontages, Road and General Boundaries G General Boundaries at Road Frontages General boundaries, Title Plans show only Generalisation of ground features shown on Ordnance Survey maps H Boundary Disputes and Harassment Hedges & boundaries Hedge and Ditch presumption, The Hedges, legal presumption Hedges, Rural Trimming hedges Hedges in urban areas High hedges Highways, legal presumption Houses, legal presumption Human Rights Act 1998 I Investigating boundaries Investigating boundaries, Assemble the evidence Investigating boundaries, Believe nothing Investigating boundaries, Draw conclusions Investigating boundaries, Evaluate the evidence Islands, legal presumption J K L Lakes, legal presumption Land Registration Act 2002 Land Registry Title Plans Law of Property Act 1925 Legal Concepts affecting Boundaries Legal Precedent Legal presumption Legal presumption, Beaches Legal Presumptions for Boundaries Legal presumption, Canals Legal presumption, Fences Legal presumption, The Hedge and Ditch presumption Legal presumption, Hedges Legal presumption, Highways Legal presumption, Houses Legal presumption, Islands Legal presumption, Lakes Legal presumption, Railways Legal presumption, Rivers Legal presumption, Seashore Legal presumption, Waste land Light, Right to Limitation Act 1980     Litigation Local searches as documentary evidence for boundaries M Making visible the boundaries of open plan front gardens Map interpretation of Ordnance Survey maps Maps, published, as documentary evidence for boundaries N Neighbour disputes, other Neighbour nuisance, other Neighbouring Land, rights over (Your) neighbour's fence Neighbours, Psychology of, in boundary disputes NIMBY: what a developer should do when encountering one next door Noisy neighbours O Obligation to fence one's land Open plan gardens, Boundaries of Open plan front gardens, making the boundaries visible Ordnance Survey Act 1841 Ordnance Survey maps, Currency of Ordnance Survey maps, Field numbers on Ordnance Survey maps generally used in boundary demarcation Ordnance Survey maps, interpretation of Ordnance Survey maps, Relative Accuracy table Ordnance Survey maps: Scale, accuracy and perception Ordnance Survey maps: Selection and Generalisation of ground features shown on Ordnance Survey maps, Use with care Ordnance Survey maps, Using Other neighbour disputes Other neighbour nuisance P Parcels clause of a conveyance Parking on shared driveways Party Wall Etc. Act 1996 Party Walls Photographs, archived collections as documentary evidence for boundaries Photographs, in the family album as documentary evidence for boundaries Physical Evidence for boundaries Planning drawings as documentary evidence for boundaries Planning Permission, Contravening Pollution, smoke and airborne Possessory Title Prescription Act 1832 Private right of way Private right of way, Excessive user of Private right of way, extinguishing Private right of way on foot Private right of way, repairs to Private right of way, Varying Private right of way, with vehicles Property litigation solicitor, Find a Property Misdescriptions Act 1991 Psychology of neighbours in boundary disputes Q R Railways, legal presumption Relative Accuracy table for Ordnance Survey maps Repairing a private right of way Replacement fence leads to confusion Retaining Walls Right of way, Private Right of way, private, on foot Right to Light Rights over Neighbouring Land Right of Support Right of way, private, with vehicles Rights of way, disputes over Rivers, legal presumption (No) right to sun or air (No) right to a view Road Frontages and General Boundaries Rubbish Rural Conventions Rural hedges S Sales plans as documentary evidence for boundaries Scale, accuracy and perception: Ordnance Survey maps Seashore, legal presumption Selection and Generalisation of ground features shown on Ordnance Survey maps Sellers Property Information Form as documentary evidence for boundaries Shared driveways and parking Smoke and airborne pollution Solicitor, property litigation, Find a Statute Law for Boundaries Sun or air, No right to Support, Duty of Support, Right of surveyor, Finding the Surveyor's skills Surveyor, What kind of? T Title register and title plan as documentary evidence for boundaries Title Deeds, where are yours kept? Title Plans, Land Registry Title Plans show only general boundaries Title plan, Understanding the Title plan, What does it show? Title plan, what it does NOT show Transfer deeds and transfer plans Trees, your neighbour's Trimming hedges U Urban hedges Use Ordnance Survey maps with care Using Ordnance Survey maps V Varying a private right of way Vehicular private right of way View, No right to a Making the boundary visible W Walls & boundaries Waste land, legal presumption Water Rights Wells Witness Statements as documentary evidence for boundaries X Y Your neighbour's fence Z

 

 

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