Boundary matters

This section deals with the main issues arising from boundary disputes. It considers how boundaries are defined and how they can be identified, explains the role of plans in both conveyances and at the Land Registry, and gives detailed practical advice on measuring boundaries, drafting an expert's report and appearing in court. It also provides a point of reference for definitions of terms used in deeds, the principles of adverse possession and proprietary estoppel, and the methods of resolving boundary disputes. The causes of a dispute often involve one or more of the following: hedges, party walls, boundary lines, planning permission or a change in ownership.

This section is maintained by Nicholas Isaac QC of Tanfield Chambers and Julia Stolle of Stolle Surveys Ltd.

RICS standard: Boundaries: procedures for boundary identification, demarcation and dispute resolution in England & Wales (4th edition)

RICS standard: Surveyors acting as expert witnesses (4th edition)

Feature: Boundary disputes: unbiased work

For links to further RICS standards and Land Registry practice guides, see Further information.