I have just moved into a new property, but how do I know if a fence is mine or the neighbours? I’ve looked among the title deeds and there is nothing obvious marked on any conveyancing plans.
The majority of properties do not actually have the ownership of boundaries designated. It is also a myth, contrary to some belief, that it is not always the left or right hand boundary that belongs to the property. The ownership will usually be shown on the original Conveyance, Lease or Transfer plan by inward ‘T-marks’. These will depend on where the development starts, and the property on the end can often be responsible for all the boundaries. If you back on to nothing then the rear boundary will always be yours.
If a property is split into two, the responsibility for maintaining and repairing the new dividing boundary will usually be allocated to the owner of the property being sold off as this is determined by the person selling off that part. In the event of there being no plan which identifies the ownership of boundaries, as in the majority of cases, then the boundaries separating each property are deemed to be shared or “party” boundaries. Those boundaries which do not adjoin another property (such as the rear boundary backing on to a lane or the front low wall of a terraced property) will always be the responsibility of that property.