Neighbour Disputes: Encroaching people, trees, and smoke.

• Date: 01 March 2022
• Author: Steingard, Jessica

Sharing a property line with someone else can lead to disputes. Here's a few common neighbour disputes and what you can do about them.

Neighbours are an inevitable part of life. Unless you've managed to escape somewhere far off the grid! Sometimes, neighbours become great friends. Other times, the relationship ends in neighbour disputes.

A previous LawNow article covered common neighbour disputes and solutions, including issues about clearing snow, noise, and messy yards and garbage. In this article, we'll tackle a few more common neighbour disputes-trespassing, overhanging trees, and smoking or vaping--and what you can do about them.

Coming Onto Property Without Permission

Your kid's ball flies over the fence. Your cattle stray onto your neighbour's fields. You build a structure that encroaches on your neighbour's property. Regardless of your intentions, trespass occurs when you or something you control crosses onto someone else's property without permission and causes harm. Another previous LawNow article discusses trespass in more detail.

So, what to do? For both the trespasser and trespassed, talking to each other is always an easy, practical first step, if safe to do so. If your kid's ball goes over the fence, ask your neighbour if they can pass it back rather than just wandering into their yard. If your neighbour's...