Everyone has always used the old wire fence as the property line, but a new survey says the line is somewhere else.
Asked October 25, 2026
AI answer · not yet verified by a surveyor
Not necessarily. The legal line comes from the deed, the recorded plat and the monuments. A fence doesn't become the line just because it's old [3].
Long-standing fences can matter legally, though. Depending on your state, doctrines such as:
- acquiescence (neighbors treating a line as the boundary for a long time),
- agreed boundaries, or
- adverse possession [1]
can sometimes shift ownership to match a fence. A surveyor will often show both the fence and the record line on the plat so the difference is clear [2].
What to do:
- Ask your surveyor to explain the evidence they used.
- Talk with your neighbor before changing anything.
- For any question of who owns the strip, ask a real-estate attorney in your state. These rules vary a lot.
General information only. Answers here are not a survey or legal advice, and no one here can tell you where your boundary is. For your property, hire a licensed land surveyor in your state; for legal questions, a real-estate attorney.