Las Vegas · Nevada

    Title and Boundary Disputes

    Free consultation. You will speak with Chris directly.

    When the fence, the survey and the deed disagree

    Chris Sullivan Law handles title and boundary disputes for property owners in Las Vegas and throughout Nevada, from a neighbor's fence over the line to a cloud that shows up on title after closing.

    Most people arrive at this page with something concrete already happening. A wall or fence went up in the wrong place, a new survey came back different from the recorded description, a title search turned up something nobody can explain, or a buyer discovered the legal description does not match the ground that was walked. These are not abstract questions, and they do not improve by waiting.

    This is a real estate law practice, and property line, encroachment and adverse possession disputes are resolved here through negotiation, a written boundary agreement, or litigation when the other side will not deal. The route depends on your documents and on how the neighbor responds, and that is the first thing the firm sorts out with you.

    What actually decides where the line sits

    Boundary cases are decided by documents and conduct: the words in the deed, what a survey puts on the ground, what is recorded, and how the two owners have treated the line over time.

    The legal description in the deed is the starting point, because it is the written statement of what the parcel includes. A survey is a professional interpretation of where that description lands on real dirt, and two surveys can differ if they start from different monuments or rely on different maps. What has been recorded matters next, since recorded plats, prior deeds, corrective instruments and easement grants can all narrow or settle a question that looks open on the surface.

    Then there is what the owners actually did. Fences maintained in one place for years, improvements built and paid for, permission given or never given, and correspondence between neighbors all carry weight, which is why a dispute that has been quietly ignored is usually harder than one addressed early. Pulling these four threads together is what tells you whether to send a demand, propose a boundary agreement, or file.

    • The deed's legal description states what the parcel is supposed to include.
    • A survey interprets that description against monuments and maps on the ground.
    • Recorded plats, prior deeds and corrective instruments can settle an apparently open question.
    • How the owners have used and maintained the line over the years can affect the outcome.

    Paperwork that gets you a straight answer faster

    Gather your deed, title policy, any survey, photographs of the disputed fence or improvement, and any correspondence with the neighbor before you call (702) 471-0112.

    The analysis in a title or boundary matter is built out of documents, so the more of them that are on the table at the start, the sooner you get a real read instead of a maybe. Incomplete is fine. Bring what exists, and missing records can be ordered or pulled later.

    Photographs matter more than people expect. Clear pictures of the fence, wall, driveway or structure in dispute, taken from more than one angle and showing any stakes or markers, often make the problem obvious in a way a written description does not.

    • Bring your deed and the recorded legal description for the parcel.
    • Bring your owner's title insurance policy together with the schedule of exceptions.
    • Bring any survey, recorded plat or map you have for the property.
    • Bring photographs of the fence, wall or improvement that is in dispute.
    • Bring letters, emails or texts exchanged with the neighbor or an HOA about the line.

    Where the firm works and how to get started

    Chris Sullivan Law takes title and boundary matters in Las Vegas, Henderson, Summerlin and elsewhere in Nevada, from the office at 8363 W. Sunset Rd., Suite 100, Las Vegas, NV 89113.

    Whether the matter involves a residential fence a few feet over the line or a commercial parcel whose recorded description will not reconcile with the survey, the work starts the same way: read the documents, identify precisely what the defect or disagreement is, and decide whether an agreement or a filing is the right instrument.

    Call (702) 471-0112 to describe the situation and arrange a review of your deed, survey and title policy.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    My neighbor's fence is over the property line. What can I actually do about it?
    You have real options, and they do not all start in court. A fence, wall, driveway or shed that sits over the line is an encroachment, and encroachment problems are usually resolved one of three ways: a negotiated agreement in which the structure is moved or removed, a written boundary agreement that fixes the line between the two owners going forward, or litigation when the neighbor will not engage. Chris Sullivan Law handles property line and encroachment disputes for owners in Las Vegas and throughout Nevada, and the first step is reviewing your deed, any survey and what is actually recorded so the demand you make is backed by documents rather than opinion. Call (702) 471-0112 to go through the situation.
    A new survey came back different from my deed. Which one controls?
    Neither one automatically wins. A deed describes the parcel in words and the survey is a surveyor's interpretation of where those words land on the ground, so when the two disagree the answer comes from reading them together: what the legal description actually says, what monuments and calls it refers to, what was recorded and when, and whether an earlier survey, map or plat already fixed the line. Sometimes the deed description contains an error that can be corrected; sometimes the new survey is simply measuring from a different starting point than the one the chain of title relies on. Bring the deed, the new survey and any older survey or plat you have, and the conflict can usually be narrowed quickly.
    What is a quiet title action and do I need one?
    A quiet title action is a lawsuit that asks a court to declare who owns a piece of property, or where a boundary sits, so the answer is binding and can be recorded. It is the tool for situations that cannot be cleaned up by agreement: a competing claim to the same strip of land, an old recorded instrument nobody can clear, a defective legal description, or a lien or interest that should have been released years ago and no longer has anyone available to release it. Whether you need one depends on whether the other side will sign, because a release, corrective deed or recorded boundary agreement is often faster when it is achievable. Chris Sullivan Law reviews title and boundary problems in Las Vegas and Nevada and will tell you which route your facts actually call for.
    I found a cloud on my title after I already closed. Who is responsible?
    That depends on where the cloud came from and what you were given at closing. The usual places to look are the seller and what the seller disclosed or promised in the purchase documents, the title company and the policy you bought, the escrow file and whether the item was listed as an exception, and the recorded chain itself, where an old deed, lien, easement or description error may have been sitting unresolved before you ever saw the property. Responsibility and the remedy are different questions, so the practical order is to identify the defect precisely, read the title policy and the closing documents against it, and then decide who has to fix it and who has to pay. Bring the policy, the closing package and the document that revealed the problem.
    Can my neighbor gain ownership of part of my land just by using it for years?
    Claims like this are real and they are worth taking seriously rather than ignoring. Adverse possession and related claims turn on how the neighbor used the land, for how long, how openly, whether the use was with or without your permission, and what the records show, which is why letting an encroachment sit unaddressed for years is the one thing that tends to make the problem harder. Chris Sullivan Law handles adverse possession and encroachment disputes for property owners in Las Vegas and across Nevada, on either side of the claim. If a neighbor is using part of your parcel, document it now and get the records reviewed before more time runs.
    How much does a title or boundary case cost, and how long does it take?
    Cost and timeline track the shape of the dispute, not the size of the strip of land. A matter that resolves with a demand letter, a corrective deed or a recorded boundary agreement is a far shorter and lighter engagement than one where the neighbor contests the line and the case has to be filed, surveyed, briefed and tried. The honest way to answer it for your situation is to look at the documents first, because the deed, the survey and what is recorded usually show early whether the other side has a defensible position or not. Call (702) 471-0112 with your paperwork in hand and you will get a direct read on what the matter involves.
    Do I have to sue, or can a boundary dispute be resolved without filing?
    Many boundary problems are resolved without a lawsuit. Negotiation and a written, recorded boundary agreement between the two owners can settle where the line is and what happens to an encroaching fence or wall, and that outcome is often faster and cheaper for everyone than litigation. Litigation is the tool for the neighbor who will not respond, will not move the improvement, or is claiming ownership of ground that is yours. Chris Sullivan Law resolves property line, encroachment and adverse possession disputes through negotiation, boundary agreements or litigation, and the route is chosen on the strength of your documents rather than on reflex.
    The title company says it's covered. Do I still need a lawyer?
    Coverage is a good thing to have, and it is still worth having the policy read independently. A title policy covers what it covers subject to its exceptions, and the exceptions page is exactly where boundary and survey problems often live, so the question of whether your specific defect is inside or outside the policy is a document question with a real answer. An independent reading also tells you what the title company is and is not obligated to do about it, and what you should be asking for in writing. Bring the policy, the schedule of exceptions and the correspondence from the title company and it can be reviewed against the defect you actually found.

    Ready to discuss your case?

    A short phone call is usually enough to tell. Free consultation.