angelchick1014
Member
So my family bought our house in 2016, this property had no survey on file and we had immediate problems with our neighbors fence. Their fence was in disrepair and was constantly falling down in small sections on our side. I seen this fence as an obvious boundary fence but the thing was all over the place like a child learning to drawl lines for the first time. The fence was only half the problem, the other problem was a mature tree that appeared to be right on the edge of our side. This tree was a healthy mature cottonwood, providing plenty of shade for our back yard. In 2017, the neighbor decided to cut a branch that overhung on her side. The tree soon died because of it, she admitted to accidentally killing it and stated that it was our tree. I was still fighting to get a survey done, having nothing but problems from the companies around our district, massive wait times. During the first year her fence fell apart once and her dogs ruined our kids pool, no biggy, whatever, life went on after she fixed her fence and we never complained. Second year, her fence fell three times. We started to notice that every time her fence fell, we would loose part of our yard as she would build further each time. Third year, i noticed not only have they been building their fence closer and closer to our house but that her and her family constantly would come onto our side for no apparent reason. I finally got fed up when she yelled at my kids for stepping on "her side" while they were playing ball close to the road where her fence doesn't cover. She only fenced in her back yard. Anyways, the next time they came over for no reason and trampled around in my saplings, I let her know she was to vacate my property ASAP and then i called the sheriff so they would know what happened and filed a complaint. Now, months after that little dispute, I finally got my survey done. It shows that the fence is over 3 foot on our side, for over half the length of our yard. The cottonwood tree is a boundary tree and is very dangerous now that its been dead for so long and must be removed. I contacted the township and they stated the tree would have to be paid by me since i want it down. Well i can't leave it up due to the danger it poses on three different properties. I am at a loss as to what to do and where to even start. She killed the boundary tree but I have to pay for it to be removed? And what about the fence? Is it my responsibility too since its on my side? The last time she fixed the fence was this past summer and she tore up the sod and laid gravel in the entire back yard, the proceeded to get livestock. That land is ruined. I just don't know what to do or where to start, what battles should be fought and what needs to be taken as a loss... Please help, any advice will surely be better than the standstill i feel as though I'm in. I was advised not to speak to my neighbor until i figured out what my rights were but I don't even know where to look. Thank you in advance for any info or insight.
