Question: What is an "encroachment?"

Answer: When we look at a property, we often assume that the property is what we see -- perhaps an area contained within a fence of backing up to a neighbor's garage.

But, what we see may not be correct. The fence and the garage may both be "encroachments," protrusions onto our land from a neighbor.

This may not sound like a big problem -- except that we are buying a complete parcel of property and paying taxes on it each year.

A survey is generally necessary to determine property boundaries and the existence of an encroachments.