Fence Installs and Property Line

[Tsmith]

I am planning on fencing in my yard but my one property line is not straight as my property is wider in the back than the front. My installer suggested i go along the property line which would mean installing the fence on a slight angle as opposed to installing straight from the back and giving up a little more in the back corner than is usually left when installing a fence. There would be about 2ft of my property outside the fence in the back which would gradually get smaller all the way to 2" inside property line at the corner where it would turn towards the house.

I really dont have a problem giving up the space in the back as I can plant some cheap shrubs there or just leave it and let growth from the woods behind my prpoperty fill it in.

I plan on talking to my neighbor who wont care but I wanted to see if others have had similar decisions to make and what they decided on and if they had any regrets either way.

[dfw_pilot]

For what it's worth, we have an angled property line like you and chose to fence the property line. The fence isn't perpendicular to the street but I don't think it matters. YMMV. Here's a pic, which also shows a few fence posts I have to straighten.

[Mightyquinn]

For what it's worth, we have an angled property line like you and chose to fence the property line. The fence isn't perpendicular to the street but I don't think it matters. YMMV. Here's a pic, which also shows a few fence posts I have to straighten.

You're just trying to show off your weather station!!!!

[dfw_pilot]

Yes, I'm not at home, so that was the only "file photo" I had available.

[Tsmith]

Thanks, Im going to do a string comparison of where it would be if i went with the property line and if i come up straight to see the difference

[Billybob]

My property is pie shaped, wider in back. I ran my fence right along my property line. A fence doesn't need to be at right angles. I think it looks fine, the only thing is you have to make adjustments at the corners. But it's not a big deal.

[ENVY23]

I would run it on the line. This depends on your neighbor, but by not putting it on the line, after a few years your neighbor could possibly claim adverse possession on the portion outside the fence that borders his property. Here's an example; a guy builds a 50ft fence that is 1ft off his property line. When the neighbor mows his lawn, instead of leaving the grass near the fence tall, the neighbor mows that little 1ft area and trims the fence line. He does this for a number of years, now he has an adverse possession claim to that 1ftx50ft area since he maintained it for a set number of years(the timeline varies state to state). Basically it means the neighbor now owns that small portion of land. Google adverse possession and fences. If you don't run it on the line, I would make it clear to the neighbor that the fence is NOT an indication of the property line, and I would even get it in writing. If new neighbors move in, do the same thing, so that you have proof that they're aware that they do not own the property outside the fence. Adverse possession can go both ways, you could build the fence 5ft over the line, and if the neighbor doesn't dispute it for a set number of years, you now own that 5ft. I'm not trying to scare you with all of this, just trying to prevent you from having a headache later on should your neighbor say "I own that!" because he actually just might own it, if proper steps aren't taken.

[Tsmith]

Fence is finally getting installed next week but i still havent decided how im going to have the one side done. My initial plan was to come up straight rather than on the property line and plant a couple shrubs in the back corner to mark whats mine that would be outside the fence. Im not worried about the few inches that would be outside along the fence as what will be outside will be less and less as the fence comes to the house.

Right now I have a fence going across the back property line with woods behind me but i do try to maintain behind the fence to prevent all of the growth from over taking the fence and into my yard so todays thought is to come up straight with the fence and put a gate in that back corner that when opens would still technically be on my property allowing me to go walk easily behind the fence rather than having to hop over it.

My neighbor on this side isnt going to care one way or the other, this part of her yard is overtaken by growth from the woods but she's older and my guess is will be selling sooner rather than later and who knows how next owner is going to be.

[Tsmith]

so much for all that...fence is being installed today and installer ran lines based on property pins and survey and my prop line on the angled side is actually over a little further in the back then i thought so plan is to just follow the prop line and not come straight up. it came out to almost 3 ft over in the back corner which was just to much to ignore. there will now be a cut piece there which im not crazy about either but so be it

probably for the best but i have ocd and kind of anal about angles so hopefully this doesnt drive me nuts

[dfw_pilot]

It'll grow on you. Enjoy the new fence either way!

[Tsmith]

Thx, it's a Picket same as I hv across back. I'll add pics of it later but it's gonna block more of neighbors yard on other side than I thought which is added bonus.

Turns out they wouldn't hv been able to come straight anyway with way the main for my irrigation runs around my dogwood as it wouldn't hv left much room to access it if needed so in the end there wasn't really a choice to make.


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