Mount Vernon Boundary Dispute Lawyers and Mount Vernon Title Attorneys

Find the right Title & Boundary Dispute attorney in Mount Vernon, NY

Title & Boundary Dispute Law in New York

Sometimes, neighbors will find out that their use of their land (or what they thought was their land) is not reflected in the actual property lines on record. Obviously, this can create a problem.

It's usually possible, though not always easy, for neighbors to come to a resolution of these disputes on their own. If the neighbors happen to like one another, and the difference between the actual property lines and what they believed the property lines to be is very small (a foot or two, for example), they might simply decide to go on as they had before. This is certainly a desirable solution in the short term, since it saves everyone a great deal of time and energy. However, in the long term, this can cause problems, particularly if one neighbor decides they want to enforce the legal property lines down the road.

Therefore, neighbors more often end up in some type of legal dispute over whether and to what extent the property lines should be enforced. Obviously, when the property lines are changed, one neighbor wins, and the other loses. It should come as no surprise, then, that legal fights are often the result.

In Mount Vernon, New York, property can also be the subject of title disputes, rather than boundary disputes described above. These types of disputes stem from disagreements over who owns a piece of property. Confusion in this area is more common than one might think. If a deed is improperly recorded, land can be "owned" by 2 people simultaneously. Even more troublesome is when land is "sold" to more than one person. This is usually inadvertent, but some people do it deliberately, hoping to abscond the profits gained by selling the same thing twice. In cases like this, a court has to determine which buyer owns the land. This is a big deal, considering how unlikely it is that a defrauded buyer could get his or her money back.

Possible Outcomes of Boundary and Title Disputes in Mount Vernon, New York

One possible outcome of a boundary dispute is a court effectively re-drawing the boundaries to fit what the neighbors had perceived. This is most often done if the neighbors were aware for a long time of the "real" property lines, and didn't do anything about it. It also helps if the neighbor who is encroaching makes major improvements to the land, and enforcing the new property lines would place a major burden on him.

A court, for several possible reasons, might decide to give effect to the legally-recorded property lines, which would necessarily change the neighbors' situation, with respect to how they use their land. For example, if the neighbor who is benefiting from the current situation (he is using land beyond the actual boundary of his property, thereby encroaching onto the land of another) knew about the discrepancy and took steps to actively hide this fact from the other neighbor, the court is very unlikely to do anything that rewards this behavior, even in the slightest. Accordingly, a court is likely to decide against the dishonest neighbor. Conversely, if the neighbor who would benefit from enforcing the property lines did nothing to make this happen for many years, a court will probably tell them that they had their chance, and basically consented to the current arrangement when they took no action to correct it.

With title disputes (as opposed to the boundary disputes discussed above), a Mount Vernon, New York court has to determine who owns an entire parcel of land. There are some pretty difficult legal issues involved here.

In general, the person who first recorded the deed at the appropriate government office will be the one who the court deems to own the land, if they didn't have any reason to know about the existence of the other deed, or other sale, or whatever else gave rise to the title dispute.

What Can A Mount Vernon, New York Attorney Do?

Because of the high stakes, going it alone in a boundary or title dispute is rarely advisable. Therefore, it's almost always a good idea to get a good Mount Vernon, New York real estate attorney to help you with such legal problems.

Talk to a Real Estate Law Attorney now!

Life in Mount Vernon

Mount Vernon, New York is a city in Westchester County, and borders The Bronx, a borough of New York City. It has a population of approximately 69,000 people, making it the 8th most populous city in New York state.

For a city of its size, Mount Vernon, New York is extremely diverse, with dozens of different ethnic groups comprising a significant percentage of the population. Owing to this, the city's motto used to be "A City That Believes," an allusion to the dozens of places of worship in the city, covering about 25 different denominations.

Of particular note is the city's Brazilian Community. It comprises more than 10% of the city's population, and is heavily concentrated in a large neighborhood which is characterized by many businesses and restaurants that cater to the community. The Brazilian community's presence in Mount Vernon can actually be felt back in their hometowns, in Brazil. Because most immigrants come to American to make more money, which they can send back to their families. This money has significantly increased the standard of living in several towns in Brazil.

The city's legal community of Mount Vernon reflects the city's diversity. Mount Vernon, New York lawyers can handle just about any case that might walk into their office. If you have a legal problem, you shouldn't hesitate to contact a Mount Vernon, New York lawyer today.

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