Two Questions / Property Rights

[ZaheerKhan]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? CA

I have a quick question. We bought a home in LA that the prior owner had vacant for about a year. During that time our new neighbor, built a second story over his garage and a new stucco/block wall separating the properties.

We built a planter on our side of the wall, in order to grow vegetation to obscure the view into our back yard from the neighbor's second story. Just before we finished the planter, the neighbor called with a concern that the wall may collapse from the weight of the dirt in the planter as his wall was not constructed as a retaining wall and is not reinforced. I do not know if the wall was inspected or permitted by the local city and have no first hand knowledge of its construction.

The planter is about 4 feet high by 3 feet wide on our side, with a dirt bottom. The wall is 6ft high on our side and 8ft on the neighbor’s side. Our planter builder has offered a bid to reinforce our side of the wall at a cost of about $800. Question: Who owns the wall between the properties and does our neighbor have any liability for the addition cost required to reinforce the wall?What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?

 

[HomeGuru]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? CA

I have a quick question. We bought a home in LA that the prior owner had vacant for about a year. During that time our new neighbor, built a second story over his garage and a new stucco/block wall separating the properties.

We built a planter on our side of the wall, in order to grow vegetation to obscure the view into our back yard from the neighbor's second story. Just before we finished the planter, the neighbor called with a concern that the wall may collapse from the weight of the dirt in the planter as his wall was not constructed as a retaining wall and is not reinforced. I do not know if the wall was inspected or permitted by the local city and have no first hand knowledge of its construction.

The planter is about 4 feet high by 3 feet wide on our side, with a dirt bottom. The wall is 6ft high on our side and 8ft on the neighbor’s side. Our planter builder has offered a bid to reinforce our side of the wall at a cost of about $800. Question: Who owns the wall between the properties and does our neighbor have any liability for the addition cost required to reinforce the wall?What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?

**A: confusing. How many walls are there and exactly where is the property line in relationship to the walls?

 

[Kiawah]

Where is the wall, in relation to the boundary between the properties? One might assume that since the other party built the wall, that they would have built it on their side of the property line. If this is so, then you shouldn't be hanging anything on his wall.

 

[ZaheerKhan]

Sorry for the confusion. The wall sits on the property line.