Land Question

Foleyart

Hi. We've been in our new house for a year and a half now, it took another year and a half to build, and we were waiting for planning for nine years! don't ask.
Site is on 2 acres with what we took to be a boundary ditch on both sides. So the owner told us, he has since died. In the last few weeks however a neighbour from down the road who owns a bordering field has claimed we are trespassing to the tune of some 17 feet on to her land. We have since received a letter from her engineer stating that this is indeed the case. The other side of the site is bordering an area of SAC bogland. The guy who owns the next site is also now claiming that we are doing the same to his land. We began draining the site around 11 years ago when we first applied for planning. My problem now is that we have done some extensive draining, put in a huge amount of subsoil, brought in topsoil and seeded the site. The grass looks beautiful and it would kill me to have to dig it all up again. We are in the middle of the bog. I am just wondering what opinions are out there on the fact that we are only now hearing this after 12 years.

Johnny Utah

Adverse possession would require at least 12 years, and you only began work on the land 11 years ago.

I think your best option is to speak to a solicitor.