The short answer
The legal boundary is an invisible line, often with no real thickness, that divides one owner’s land from the next. The physical boundary is the feature you can actually see — a fence, wall or hedge. The two are not the same thing, and they do not always sit in the same place. A fence may have been put up inside one owner’s land, replaced slightly off-line, or never have matched the legal boundary at all. Assuming the physical feature marks the legal line is one of the most common ways boundary disputes begin.
Why it matters
The legal boundary comes from the deeds and the conveyance that divided the land. Physical features are evidence of where that line may run, but they are not conclusive: fences get moved, replaced and rebuilt; hedges spread and shift over decades; and a wall has thickness, so “whose side is the face on?” can matter. The gap between the legal line and the physical feature is exactly where disputes live.
It is a reminder that boundary disputes are evidence disputes. Both neighbours can point to a physical feature and sincerely believe it proves their case. Resolving it means assessing all the evidence objectively rather than arguing from the fence line — which is exactly where an experienced boundary surveyor helps.
What to do now
- Do not assume the fence, wall or hedge is the legal boundary.
- Treat physical features as evidence, not proof.
- Check the deeds and conveyance for the line and any described features.
- Get an objective assessment if the difference actually matters to you.
Common mistakes
- Treating the fence line as the legal boundary.
- Ignoring the thickness of a wall and which side its face sits on.
- Assuming a replaced fence stands exactly where the old one did.
When to call Coburns
We assess how the physical features relate to the legal boundary, objectively and in the round, so you are not relying on an assumption that the fence line tells the whole story.