# Fence distance from property line



## tonyb (Jul 4, 2011)

For those who have a perimeter fence, how far is it off the property line?


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## ramiller5675 (Mar 31, 2009)

The fence line IS the property line, except along the roads.


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## myersfarm (Dec 24, 2004)

if it is not ON the property line and the other guy takes care of it for 15 years in Missouri it becomes the property line


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## Lazy J (Jan 2, 2008)

Get a survey and put that bad boy RIGHT on the property line.


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## springvalley (Jun 23, 2009)

Yep, property line is the fence line,here in Illinois it is split, if you stand back and look at a fence the right hand is yours and the left hand is the neighbors half, and you split it in the middle. And each fence you have with a neighbor is this way, no matter how many turns and sides you have. > Thanks Marc


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## rancher1913 (Dec 5, 2008)

not only is is both you and your neighbors fence in colorado but if no fence exists and you want one -- he has to pay for half of it.


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## wally (Oct 9, 2007)

rancher1913 said:


> not only is is both you and your neighbors fence in colorado but if no fence exists and you want one -- he has to pay for half of it.


Right on the property line. I think Kansas is the same way on 1/2 for each property owner. However if the other property owner has no ag use for a fence and you want the fence you bear the cost 100%. after you build it your neighbor is not responsle for his half until they begin using it. Perhaps other kansas land owners can clear this up for me ?


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## SCRancher (Jan 11, 2011)

I have no idea what the rules are in South Carolina but when I built my fence I sank a post on my "side" of the property markers, stretched a wire between the 2 posts as tight as I could removing trees and other offending material to make it as straight as possible and then sank my line posts.


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## tonyb (Jul 4, 2011)

wally said:


> Right on the property line. I think Kansas is the same way on 1/2 for each property owner. However if the other property owner has no ag use for a fence and you want the fence you bear the cost 100%. after you build it your neighbor is not responsle for his half until they begin using it. Perhaps other kansas land owners can clear this up for me ?


This is my understanding of Michigan law as well. So for example, if you build a fence to contain your cattle, and then the neighbor decides to get some cattle too, you can have him pay for half of the shared fence.


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## tonyb (Jul 4, 2011)

Dumb of me not to explain the background of the question to begin with. 

The reason I asked the question is because I have 7-strand high tensile electric fence. It is 24" inside my property line so I can keep the outside free from weeds. But the neighbors weeds grow so tall that they lean over further than 24" and touch the fence anyway. It doesn't help that this section of fence is on the west side, and prevailing wind from the west blows the weeds toward us.

My dad suggested that I use field fence (or high-tensile field fence) right on the property line. If I did that, I would just run a hot wire around the top or just inside the fence -- that would just be to tap into for my portable interior electronet (I haven't had much luck with the solar chargers).

Before I finish the rest of my perimeter fence I need to make a decision whether to continue with high-tensile wire or change to field fence. I'm leaning toward the field fence. Sound reasonable?

Main concern is keeping the fence line clear. If the fence is on the property line, I need to encroach on the neighbors property to cut saplings and brushy weeds.


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## fols (Nov 5, 2008)

Ohio law is that 3 feet on each side of the property line of the fence must be cleared. So, I just go on my neighbor's property and trim, bushhog or cut anything getting near the fence. Helps that I have good neighbors and they don't mind. They actually appreciate it so they don't have to do the work.


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## opportunity (Mar 31, 2012)

I take care of the weeds/grass along the fence line so it doens't short out my electric fence. I hate putting up feild fence but have a 9 wire fenc 4 barb with 5 smooth and then sometimes I add the electric with two hot wires.


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## SCRancher (Jan 11, 2011)

Hmm cost of any other fence VS high tensile wire fence - I'll go with the HI Ten fence thank you!

I have lots of weeds laying on my fence - a good high powered fence charger takes care of it pretty well.

I even have a post that I accidentally took out with the bushhog so now the wire is pressed tight against a medium sized cedar tree - the fence has basically created it's own dead zone on the tree and it no longer draws down the fence except when it's been raining then all the weeds and such do draw down the fence till it drys - no big deal as the cattle don't touch the fence anymore.


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## ramiller5675 (Mar 31, 2009)

tonyb said:


> Dumb of me not to explain the background of the question to begin with.
> 
> The reason I asked the question is because I have 7-strand high tensile electric fence. It is 24" inside my property line so I can keep the outside free from weeds. But the neighbors weeds grow so tall that they lean over further than 24" and touch the fence anyway. It doesn't help that this section of fence is on the west side, and prevailing wind from the west blows the weeds toward us.
> 
> ...


I've got a good tight barbwire fence (5 wires) running around the perimeter, and I added a high tensile wire using some quality offset insulators (offset about 5" and from Gallagher?). I didn't have to mess with the neighbor's fence and I can hook another electric fence to it anywhere along the main run.

The only way I've been able to keep brush out of a fence line is to spot spray with some sort of brush killer (Remedy, etc.). 

And, for what its worth, I hate field fence. It's impossible to keep tight, it's expensive, and it's too much work installing it. The only place I use it is in a weaning pen to keep calves from crawling through the fence.


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## francismilker (Jan 12, 2006)

Put that bad boy on the property line and run down the fence line a couple times a year with some 2-4-D and Remedy mix. (provides your neighbor is good with it.) I spray all my fence lines for brush. I don't like spraying pastures because the goats and hairsheep take care of it, but I also don't like vines and brush growing up in fence lines.


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## tonyb (Jul 4, 2011)

francismilker said:


> Put that bad boy on the property line and run down the fence line a couple times a year with some 2-4-D and Remedy mix. (provides your neighbor is good with it.) I spray all my fence lines for brush. I don't like spraying pastures because the goats and hairsheep take care of it, but I also don't like vines and brush growing up in fence lines.


I'm trying to go this route, actually. Not crazy about spraying in general, but it works. Besides, we're in the middle of a few sections of production agriculture -- adding our fencelines to the acreage covered by glyphosate isn't going to tip the scale, I'd say. Problem is finding a decent sprayer. I've purchased two and inherited one. All of them failed pretty quick in one way or another (nozzle wore out, o-rings wore out, ...).


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## LittleRedHen (Apr 26, 2006)

I am buying land this week and it appears the fence is about 12 feet from the property line. It is likely due to a creek that zigzags a little bit. The offset allows that the fence doesn't cross the creek at any point. However, it seems that the south neighbor thinks the fence line is the property line. The fence is less than 15 years old in my estimation. I will need to resink some of the posts because they are falling over in the mud. I don't know if i will try to move the fence closer to the boundary or not. If it was a flat field I would go on the property line as long as zoning doesn't require any offset.


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## francismilker (Jan 12, 2006)

LittleRedHen said:


> I am buying land this week and it appears the fence is about 12 feet from the property line. It is likely due to a creek that zigzags a little bit. The offset allows that the fence doesn't cross the creek at any point. However, it seems that the south neighbor thinks the fence line is the property line. The fence is less than 15 years old in my estimation. I will need to resink some of the posts because they are falling over in the mud. I don't know if i will try to move the fence closer to the boundary or not. If it was a flat field I would go on the property line as long as zoning doesn't require any offset.


I've got 1/4 mile of fence on my east side where a creek does just what yours does. I fenced the creek off to keep from crossing it several times and not gaining any grazing on the east side of it. What I done to keep the property line in check was to have my surveyor set me a lateral pin ever 100' on the TRUE property line and I concreted in a piece of steel pipe at each pin attaced with a metal tag stating "property line" on it. I have awesome neighbors on that fenceline that would never contest the line. However, my kids and their kids might fight about it long after I'm gone. To keep these potential squabbles at bay, a few pieces of pipe painted bright white and visible with tags on them ought to do the trick.


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## myersfarm (Dec 24, 2004)

^^^^ WHAT FRANCIS SAID.....even if you ran a one wire electric fence wire from post to post......never know what will happen when they sell there side to somebody that thinks they know were the line is 

will make a mad new owner neighbor right from the start...even though you did nothing


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## loli (Aug 14, 2011)

I would go with a shorter field fence with 2 strands of barb on top, we also have hot wire with the long extenders on it. You will never make your neighbors keep the weeds down.


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## Samurai Sam (Jul 13, 2011)

SCRancher said:


> I have no idea what the rules are in South Carolina but when I built my fence I sank a post on my "side" of the property markers, stretched a wire between the 2 posts as tight as I could removing trees and other offending material to make it as straight as possible and then sank my line posts.


As long as there are no zoning issues or county specific rules in SC residential fencing is usually offset one half a foot inside the builders property line at a minimum. That is not law just the way it's done, if you build "right on the property line" and your neighbor has a survey done that conflicts, you may find yourself
1- in court wasting money over a very small strip of land
2- having to move said fence to a new location.

I have staked out property lines for fence construction more times than I can remember in SC, GA and a few other places and the fence builder (contractor) generally follows this guideline. The larger the parcel the bigger the off-set in many cases. 

The land surveying business is hurting more than you can imagine these days, there are some bargains to be had in negotiating services for marking and setting property monumentation, pretty much everywhere in the US.


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