Six stages, in the order you should take them. Work down the list and stop at the first one that settles it — almost every dispute should be over by stage five.
A boundary dispute arises when property owners who share a boundary have a difference in opinion on its location. Our advice is always the same: try to resolve it as a neighbourly matter first. A conversation settles more disputes than a solicitor's letter ever will — and the courts now expect you to have tried.
Under the general boundaries rule (s.60 Land Registration Act 2002) the red line shows roughly where your land sits, not the exact legal line. In Clapham v Narga [2024] the Court of Appeal held the plan had never included the disputed strip at all.
The legal boundary is fixed by the wording and plan of the deed that first split the two plots, read against the features on the ground at that date — not the modern title plan.
Posts on the owner's side, "T-marks prove it's mine", the left-hand-fence rule: HM Land Registry states there is no legal foundation for any of it.
Do Buy your title register and title plan from the GOV.UK "Search for land and property information" service — £7 each online. Buy your neighbour's too; anyone is entitled to. Order official copies of the filed deeds (£11 each) and read the earliest conveyance.
Don't Build your case on the title plan alone. It is the weakest evidence you own.
Do Knock on the door before you post anything. Follow it with a short, dated, unemotional letter recording what you both said and what you propose.
Why it matters Since 1 October 2024 the Civil Procedure Rules require courts to promote out-of-court resolution, and after Churchill v Merthyr Tydfil [2023] a court can order you into it.
Option A Boundary agreement — if you agree where the line runs, sign a written record with a clear plan and ask HM Land Registry to note it against both titles.
Option B Determined boundary — Form DB, fixed fee £90, fixes the exact line on the register permanently, backed by a survey plan accurate to ±10mm.
The process Pre-inspection (desktop research across deeds, historic mapping and planning records), site inspection (measurements and photographs of fences, walls, hedges and markers), and a reasoned, impartial written report to the RICS professional standard Boundaries (4th edition).
Cheapest strong move One single joint expert, instructed and paid 50/50, rather than two competing surveyors.
Do Use the RICS / Property Litigation Association Boundary Disputes Mediation Service, or agree a binding expert determination — one day, both sides at the table, and a settlement you can then register.
Where County Court for a declaration as to the boundary, or the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) where an HM Land Registry application has been objected to. The loser normally pays both sides' costs.
Title register and plan, plus easements — a good indicator, never the final word.
The root of title and, critically, the conveyance that first divided the two plots.
Ordnance Survey editions showing how the line was drawn and when features moved.
Scaled site plans benchmarking the understood position over time.
Ground-level evidence of what stood where, and for how long.
Hard to scale, but a useful vantage point on the line's direction.
Fences, walls, trees, hedges, posts and markers, fully measured and photographed.
Every letter, text and email with your neighbour, in date order.
Long-standing residents who can speak to the historic position.
A neighbour can apply to be registered as owner after 10 years' possession where they reasonably believed the land was theirs. Object in writing now.
This is the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 — a s.1 or s.6 notice is required at least one month before work starts.
You may cut back to the boundary line and must offer the cuttings back. Check first for a Tree Preservation Order.
Separate regime under Part 8 of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 — complain to the council once you've tried to settle it yourself.
Ask first. If refused, the Access to Neighbouring Land Act 1992 allows a County Court application.
Boundary survey and determination of one boundary line
Determination of two boundary lines
Mutual appointment by both parties for a joint determination
| Title register or title plan, ordered online from GOV.UK | £7 each |
| Official copy of a filed deed | £11 each |
| Determined boundary application (form DB) | £90 |
| Adverse possession application to HM Land Registry | £130 |
| Contested litigation through to trial | £15,000+ |
"Almost every dispute should be over by stage five — the ones that aren't get very expensive, very quickly."
— From this guide
No. This guide covers England and Wales only. Scotland (Registers of Scotland, bounding titles, prescription) and Northern Ireland operate separate systems.
No. A boundary agreement is a simple written record noted against both titles. A determined boundary (Form DB) is a formal HM Land Registry application that fixes the exact line permanently, backed by a certified survey plan.
Since October 2024, the Civil Procedure Rules require courts to promote out-of-court resolution, and a court can order parties into mediation — refusing to engage can cost you money even when you're right.
Up to 15 minutes of free, no-obligation telephone advice. We'll tell you honestly which stage you're at and whether you need us yet.
Request a Callback →Scope. This guide covers England and Wales. General information only, correct at July 2026 — it is not legal advice on your dispute, and statutory fees and thresholds change. Check GOV.UK before paying anything.
