No blanket allowance lets you take a strip of your neighbour’s land. The fact that a title plan is not exact does not create a free margin either side of the legal boundary.
Where the misunderstanding comes from
Small-scale mapping, the width of a drawn line and changes in physical features can all limit how confidently a plan can be interpreted. People sometimes turn that uncertainty into a claim that a particular amount of encroachment is allowed. That is a different proposition and should not be assumed.
A precise measurement can still answer the wrong question
A survey may measure a fence accurately to a building corner. That establishes the present geometry. To assess ownership, the survey still needs to be related to the relevant deed and historical evidence. Precision in measuring a feature is not proof that the feature is correctly positioned.
What if the difference is only a few centimetres?
Ask what the difference affects: a wall, access width, foundations, a proposed extension or simply an irregular old fence. A small distance can matter in one context and be sensibly resolved by agreement in another. Keep the likely cost and practical outcome in view while establishing the evidence.
Before setting out new work
- Do not scale a disputed legal line from a downloaded title plan.
- Identify stable reference points and the source of proposed dimensions.
- Make any uncertainty clear to the designer and contractor.
- Record an agreed position before irreversible work starts.
If neighbours settle an uncertain line, put that agreement into an appropriate written form rather than relying on a supposed statutory tolerance.
Need help with the boundary evidence?
Send the property addresses, the disputed section and the key documents. We can confirm whether preliminary evaluation or a fuller investigation is appropriate.
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