Before taking legal action against your neighbor for a property line dispute, see if you can resolve it on your own. Hire a surveyor to determine the property line, know your local and state laws and try to reach an agreement. If that doesn’t work, use a mediator or have your attorney get involved. “The soul grows into lovely habits as easily as into ugly ones, and the moment a life begins to blossom into beautiful words and deeds, that moment a new standard of conduct is established, and your eager neighbors look to you for a continuous manifestation of the good cheer, the sympathy, the ready wit, the comradeship, or the inspiration, you once showed yourself capable of. Step 1 Determine ownership by occupancy if the fence lies between or directly on the property line. Whoever uses the land up to the fence is considered the owner. If you have grass and mow the area directly up against the fence but your neighbor allows the weeds to grow on his/her side, then you own the fence by occupancy.