Neighbor claims my fence is 7 inches on her property!

[Pat Hamilton]

My neighbor showed me her survey (it's hard to interpret). She claims that my backyard fence is 7 inches on her property and that I must move it or get rid of it. I'm not sure if the fence was already there or if my tenant put it up. I can't seem to find my own survey of the home (there is a wordy description on the title). Just moving the fence will probably be cheaper than getting a whole new survey, or fighting it out in court. I considered doing this, but am annoyed by the whole thing. Is there a margin of error on surveys...can she make this claim for just several inches? I should probably get my own survey done, however there are so many different types and they are expensive! Apparently there is a type where they mark the boundaries (I guess with flags), should I get this done. Or better yet, since she is making the claim, perhaps she should pay for a survey with markers? I'm inclined to just do nothing for now since I'm not sure if her survey (from 2017) is enough proof that my fence is on her property by 7 inches.

[Bill F.]

@Pat Hamilton

I think we have only gotten some of the story. Why does your neighbor, in Jan of 2021 come to you with a survey from 2017 and complain about a bit more than half a foot...? 

A full marked survey will run you around $500 bucks. Moving the fence will be a lot more. You'll need a survey of some sorts anyway to know where to move the fence. 

Smile and nod kindly to your neighbor and tell her will will look into this immediately. Get your own survey and go from there.