The Victors

The background, for anyone not following:

We bought a house in fall 2024, and the first thing we did is put in a fence. We got a survey done and everything. They put the fence posts right up against a rope running along the property line, then put the boards on the far side (that is, across the property line).

The neighboring lot was vacant; actually, the guy who sold us our house also owned that and tried to sell it to me for an extra $20k. I turned it down as I neither had an extra $20k to throw around nor any particular need or desire for it.

A retired couple bought it shortly after we bought ours.

About a year ago, they started the building process, and they reached out to us. They had a fence they wanted. They asked if we could tear down the portion of the fence abutting our property and they'd put theirs up, offering to pay for it. I demurred.

They finally started putting up the house, and now it's nearly done. The wife (which is who I've been dealing with) messaged me a week ago to ask about what I was planning on doing about the "fence that was on her land."

Uh, the what now?

I called her up. Her theory, not just now but apparently a year ago when we first talked, was actually our fence is "6-8" on her land, per her surveyor. I asked her if she had anything to show this, and she said the surveyor was still going to put down the final pins. I said, hey, let me know when, we can all meet up, I'll get my fence and survey guys out, we can all take a look, and figure out what's what.

No response on that.

Meanwhile, my fence guy explains that they put the boards on the far side because it gave us more room (which I wasn't asking for) and that depending on local ordinances you can do that (which is not super helpful, since it would be better to know whether the particular local ordinances where they actually built the fence allow this or not), but if it's wrong they'll fix it.

My survey guy is pretty sure they did it right, and is getting stuff together to come back and double check/remark the pins. The pin/marker is still visible in back and it looks like it's right on the fence line.

So we'll get our guys out here and if she won't meet up, I'll at least get the fence guy and survey guy to mark it and look at it, and decide what they think, and take pictures and all that.

The thing is, I'm pretty sure she's completely FOS. See, she def never mentioned the surveying issue a year ago. And I doubt the surveyor hasn't finished yet given the house is almost done. And, she just doesn't like the fence. She's been bitching to her friend at the National Park about it. Which is funny because my wife worked there, so we know all the people there, and they mentioned it to us. She was like "I don't even like that fence." So I'm pretty sure 1) it's on our land, minus the overhang which is an inch or two, 2) which the fence guy will move to the backside at no cost to me if that's the case and if she wants, but 3) there's no way it's 6-8" over, 4) she has no evidence of it being that far, and 5) she just wants to get rid of the fence.

How pliant she actually is with all this, I don't know. Probably at some point I should at least let it drop I'm a lawyer just so she knows vague threats about suing me aren't going to be productive. Not looking to escalate myself, but she needs to know that if she has nothing, she should sit the fuck down.

Anyway, checking "boundary dispute" off the property owner list. "Buy a house," they said. "It's the key to wealth," they said.

It's been ok (this and the one in CO), but it's also a headache. Meanwhile my mom is about to sell the house she bought 5 years ago for 50% more. So at least someone is making big money.