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Buying and Selling Homes

Can i contact sellers 5 years later to ask if i own the fence?

9 years ago

I got my house about 5 years ago. There is a utility pole at the corner of the property and there are 4 fence posts meet up at the pole. I want to replace the fencing around the back yard but there is a neighbor beside, to the left and to the right of me.
I think the fences are on the property line.
Would it be weird if i contacted the people who sold me the house and ask them if they know if i own any of the fencing?

I know they still live in town.
The house was a property that they rented to different people for a few years before selling.

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Comments (9)

User
9 years ago
You are better off looking up the property on the county's property maps, and getting a survey if the description is not really clear.

Anything else is just opinion
User
9 years ago
Duplicate

This post was edited by lazygardens on Thu, Jul 3, 14 at 11:18
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User
9 years ago
Have a survey done. I'm suprised that didn't happpen when you bought it.
tlbean2004
Original Author
9 years ago
I had a survey done but it lists the fences and being the property line and the utilty pole is not even mention in the survey.
The survey shows all fence corners meeting up at the corners but the dont meet up at the utility pole.
The survey also doesn't tell who owns what fence.
User
9 years ago
Then call the survey company about the power pole. Also contact the local utility company, because they have easement rights and need to have access to the pole maintained.

If the fence is on the property line, then it's probably jointly owned. If you are having issues with the joint owner, often the best solution is to put up your own fence, assuredly on your own property.
weedyacres
9 years ago
I think I'd probably start by talking with your 3 neighbors and seeing what they believe about the ownership. If you're wanting to replace the fence, and you're willing to pay for it, I would imagine most neighbors would be happy to let you do that, even if it was technically their fence.

I also don't see any harm in trying to contact the sellers. The worst they can do is ignore you. I know I wouldn't mind if a buyer called me later to ask a question, if they weren't wanting me to pay for some problem that happened or something. But then I live in the midwest, and we're good that way. :-)
Acadiafun
9 years ago
Survey is the only way. You never know what neighbor is going to bristle if they think they own more than they do. So get straight to the facts with a survey and then contact the neighbors if needed when you replace your fence.
plaidbird
9 years ago
I'm wondering why you don't seem to know your neighbors five years in ? Different sort of neighborhood than where I live apparently.

If you bought here, I would willingly tell you which fence was built by which property. I could also tell you where several of the official property survey markers are located and show you.

Due to each property owners idea of how to set their fence when they built it, and things that are in the way.. none of my surrounding six fences are on the property lines exactly. Some are set close and some are further in. And one was built up to my ancient cherry tree, then custom built to fit up over, around and back down the trunk. LOL Guy did a nice job there.

If you know who has been in the neighborhood the longest, and if she happens to be a nice order gardener, she will tell you too.

This obviously does not give you the legal answers you need, but it will more importantly let you know who paid for the labor and materials and point you in a
better direction as to how to approach each property owner and avoid hard feelings. And that is more important than lots of folks realize early on. You may live next to those people the next fifty years. Peace in the neighborhood is worth more than a few inches of fence inset IMHO.
ncrealestateguy
9 years ago
A survey is needed badly here.

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