Disputes over boundaries and property lines are among the most frequent (and most contentious) disputes in real estate law. Whether they involve residential neighborhoods or commercial real estate, boundary disputes represent substantial challenges for property owners. Knowing your legal options is critical to protect your property rights and to avoid needless escalation.
Common Causes of Boundary Disputes
There are several causes of property line disputes, including:
- Unclear or outdated surveys – Older deeds or surveys may not be consistent with modern mapping or physical boundaries.
- Encroachments – A structure (such as a fence, driveway, or building) that is either infringing or extending onto a neighboring property.
- Easements and rights of way – Shared access to driveways, alleys, or utility corridors.
- Adverse possession claims – Where one party claims to have gained ownership rights from long-term, open usage of another person’s land.
In commercial real estate, property boundary disputes can impede development, complicate financing, and, in some cases, litigation may disrupt business operations, pause development projects, and /or cash flow.
Legal Options for Property Owners
When dealing with a dispute regarding boundaries or property lines, property owners have several paths to resolution:
1. Survey and Title Review
The first step is to obtain a survey and conduct a title review. This will help clarify the legal description of the property and whether there are encroachments or easements involved in the dispute.
2. Negotiation and Mediation
Most disputes can be resolved outside of a courtroom by utilizing negotiation or mediation which will allow both parties to resolve disputes without incurring the cost of litigations.
3. Quiet Title Actions
If there is a dispute regarding ownership or property boundaries, you may need to file a quiet title action. A quiet title is a legal action taken to address permissive or competing claims regarding a property to other parties to establish clear title and boundaries.
4. Injunctions or Litigation
If your neighbor will not stop encroaching on your property, or simply refuses to stop trespassing, you may need to file a lawsuit. The courts may issue an injunction to terminate unlawful use (or trespass) or award money damages to the aggrieved party for their losses.
5. Settlement Agreements and Easements
In some cases, it may be easier to create a bindable easement or settlement agreement allowing the party to continue using an area while preserving property rights.
Protecting Your Property Rights
Disagreements over property boundaries can quickly escalate into disputes, especially where significant commercial real estate is involved. At Strategy Law, our attorneys have extensive experience in real estate law, and we assist both residential and commercial property owners in resolving boundary and property line disputes as efficiently as possible. Our priority is to keep your property rights protected while achieving your long-term real estate goals.
This blog is written as of January 2026. Recommendations and legal requirements are changing rapidly, so please continue to review our legal updates or review postings on relevant government websites.
All blogs on this site are for educational purposes only, do not constitute legal advice or opinion, and should not be applied to your situation, or any specific situation, without consultation with counsel. Strategy Law, LLP does not provide any legal advice concerning any matter discussed in a blog except upon formal engagement including, without limitation, execution of Strategy Law, LLP’s formal legal services agreement, and with respect to specific factual situations. No blog constitutes a guaranty, warranty, or prediction regarding the result of any legal matter discussed in the blog or any representation