Can neighbor knock down this wall?

My neighbors have just started demo on their steps and patio up to their front door. As part of some property line disputes (their chain link fence and decking in their back yard veers onto my property in places) we’ve had the properties surveyed and found that a three foot tall cinderblock/stucco wall that surrounds a patio area in my front yard encroaches onto their property by approx. 2 inches in the rear corner. This wall was built by the previous owner and the neighbors have remarked to me that they think it’s unsightly.
Are they allowed to demo the portion of the wall that is on their property without notice to me? Doing so would by default damage the rest of that section of wall making it both unsightly and possibly unstable.
I have no attachment to the wall either way but don’t want to live with a partially demolished wall in my front yard.

lfeder

in General Discussion 6 years and 2 months ago

4

Please log in, in order to post replies!

4 replies

Newest Oldest

tsgrlc | 6 years and 2 months ago

string(1) "1"
object(WP_User)#4889 (8) {
  ["data"]=>
  object(stdClass)#4932 (12) {
    ["ID"]=>
    string(6) "199755"
    ["user_login"]=>
    string(6) "tsgrlc"
    ["user_pass"]=>
    string(34) "$P$BouLYr10we/NLA2zeL.KE3pXiQ84ZX."
    ["user_nicename"]=>
    string(15) "tsgrlcgmail-com"
    ["user_email"]=>
    string(16) "tsgrlc@gmail.com"
    ["user_url"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["user_registered"]=>
    string(19) "2017-08-10 14:33:06"
    ["user_activation_key"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["user_status"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["display_name"]=>
    string(26) "OTFCHRIS600 Your Last Name"
    ["spam"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["deleted"]=>
    string(1) "0"
  }
  ["ID"]=>
  int(199755)
  ["caps"]=>
  array(1) {
    ["subscriber"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["cap_key"]=>
  string(15) "wp_capabilities"
  ["roles"]=>
  array(1) {
    [0]=>
    string(10) "subscriber"
  }
  ["allcaps"]=>
  array(3) {
    ["read"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["level_0"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["subscriber"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["filter"]=>
  NULL
  ["site_id":"WP_User":private]=>
  int(1)
}

Under New York state law, property that is openly used by a non-owner for an exclusive use (such as a fence or structure that the owner can’t access) has an ownership claim to that land. The land is effectively transferred to the new owners. This common-law doctrine is called “adverse possession” and encroachment is the textbook example of adverse possession in NY.

https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/who-can-claim-property-based-adverse-possession-new-york.html

GreenThinker | 6 years and 2 months ago

string(1) "1"
object(WP_User)#4890 (8) {
  ["data"]=>
  object(stdClass)#4891 (12) {
    ["ID"]=>
    string(5) "98498"
    ["user_login"]=>
    string(12) "GreenThinker"
    ["user_pass"]=>
    string(34) "$P$BUyWaQ.9zd8QKKjw0tTw.V/FyEYyLC0"
    ["user_nicename"]=>
    string(12) "greenthinker"
    ["user_email"]=>
    string(23) "Moscicki.adam@gmail.com"
    ["user_url"]=>
    string(23) "/forums/users/greenman/"
    ["user_registered"]=>
    string(19) "2017-08-10 14:19:42"
    ["user_activation_key"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["user_status"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["display_name"]=>
    string(12) "GreenThinker"
    ["spam"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["deleted"]=>
    string(1) "0"
  }
  ["ID"]=>
  int(98498)
  ["caps"]=>
  array(2) {
    ["subscriber"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["bbp_participant"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["cap_key"]=>
  string(15) "wp_capabilities"
  ["roles"]=>
  array(2) {
    [0]=>
    string(10) "subscriber"
    [1]=>
    string(15) "bbp_participant"
  }
  ["allcaps"]=>
  array(4) {
    ["read"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["level_0"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["subscriber"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["bbp_participant"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["filter"]=>
  NULL
  ["site_id":"WP_User":private]=>
  int(1)
}

I don’t see anyone being able to cleanly slice 3 inches off a cinder block wall. Why not just tell him that if he knocks it down he has to rebuild it on the property line, if not in kind, something that the both of you can live with.

resident2 | 6 years and 2 months ago

string(1) "1"
object(WP_User)#4894 (8) {
  ["data"]=>
  object(stdClass)#4888 (12) {
    ["ID"]=>
    string(6) "181002"
    ["user_login"]=>
    string(9) "resident2"
    ["user_pass"]=>
    string(34) "$P$BYKCrEpDU34.3RJghRPk8/Xp1XpCve/"
    ["user_nicename"]=>
    string(9) "resident2"
    ["user_email"]=>
    string(21) "Jamanda1255@Yahoo.com"
    ["user_url"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["user_registered"]=>
    string(19) "2017-08-10 14:07:33"
    ["user_activation_key"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["user_status"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["display_name"]=>
    string(9) "resident2"
    ["spam"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["deleted"]=>
    string(1) "0"
  }
  ["ID"]=>
  int(181002)
  ["caps"]=>
  array(1) {
    ["bbp_participant"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["cap_key"]=>
  string(15) "wp_capabilities"
  ["roles"]=>
  array(1) {
    [0]=>
    string(15) "bbp_participant"
  }
  ["allcaps"]=>
  array(1) {
    ["bbp_participant"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["filter"]=>
  NULL
  ["site_id":"WP_User":private]=>
  int(1)
}

How long has the wall been there? Does it show as an encroachment on your survey from when you bought it? Does it show on their title survey from when they bought it?
My stand would be that you both accepted when you bought it, you both got title insurance…. in Cities with attached houses, small encroachments happen… get over it.
No they cannot knock 2-3″ of your wall down.

daveinbedstuy | 6 years and 2 months ago

string(1) "1"
object(WP_User)#4889 (8) {
  ["data"]=>
  object(stdClass)#4887 (12) {
    ["ID"]=>
    string(4) "3864"
    ["user_login"]=>
    string(13) "daveinbedstuy"
    ["user_pass"]=>
    string(34) "$P$BtJYyObAQmff2MQp.qFP7/kmwU1bBZ1"
    ["user_nicename"]=>
    string(13) "daveinbedstuy"
    ["user_email"]=>
    string(19) "djl135e54@yahoo.com"
    ["user_url"]=>
    string(55) "http://bstoner.wpengine.com/forums/users/daveinbedstuy/"
    ["user_registered"]=>
    string(19) "2017-08-10 14:23:53"
    ["user_activation_key"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["user_status"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["display_name"]=>
    string(13) "daveinbedstuy"
    ["spam"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["deleted"]=>
    string(1) "0"
  }
  ["ID"]=>
  int(3864)
  ["caps"]=>
  array(2) {
    ["subscriber"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["bbp_participant"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["cap_key"]=>
  string(15) "wp_capabilities"
  ["roles"]=>
  array(2) {
    [0]=>
    string(10) "subscriber"
    [1]=>
    string(15) "bbp_participant"
  }
  ["allcaps"]=>
  array(4) {
    ["read"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["level_0"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["subscriber"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["bbp_participant"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["filter"]=>
  NULL
  ["site_id":"WP_User":private]=>
  int(1)
}

Photos might help!