Neighbor and boundary disputes in Nassau County can turn a peaceful home into a battleground. Whether a neighbor has encroached on your property line, erected a fence in the wrong location, is allowing trees to damage your land, or is engaging in conduct that makes your property unusable, you have legal options and the right to pursue them aggressively.
A Nassau County neighbor and boundary disputes attorney from Kohan Law Group can evaluate your situation, determine the strongest legal strategy, and fight to protect what is yours. We handle these disputes the way we handle all civil litigation: with the strength of an army and the individualized attention your case demands.
What Types of Neighbor Disputes Do We Handle in Nassau County?
Nassau County is one of the most densely populated counties in the United States. With homes and properties in close proximity, disputes between neighbors are common and can become contentious fast. Kohan Law Group represents property owners across Nassau County, New York City, and surrounding areas in a wide range of neighbor and boundary disputes, including:
- Boundary and property line disputes: When neighbors disagree over where one property ends and another begins, the consequences can affect home values, construction plans, and the peaceful enjoyment of your land.
- Encroachments: Structures, fences, driveways, or landscaping that a neighbor has built or placed on your property constitute an encroachment. You have the right to demand removal or seek compensation.
- Adverse possession claims: Under New York law, a person who openly and continuously uses another’s land for 10 years may attempt to claim legal title to it. If you believe a neighbor is building a claim against your property, or if you need to assert one, time is critical.
- Easement disputes: Disagreements over rights-of-way, access easements, or the scope of an existing easement often require litigation to resolve definitively.
- Tree and vegetation disputes: Overhanging branches, invasive roots, and fallen trees that cause property damage are a persistent source of conflict between Nassau County neighbors.
- Fence disputes: Who is responsible for a shared fence? Where should it be located? New York law provides specific rules, but neighbors frequently disagree about how they apply.
- Nuisance claims: Noise, odors, light pollution, and other ongoing disturbances that substantially interfere with your enjoyment of your property may support a private nuisance action in New York courts.
- Trespass: When a neighbor repeatedly enters your property without permission, you have the right to seek injunctive relief and damages.
If your situation involves a partition or co-ownership dispute, our team also handles those matters. Learn more on our Nassau County partition and boundary disputes page.
What Does New York Law Say About Neighbor and Boundary Disputes?
Understanding the legal framework that governs neighbor disputes in New York is essential before deciding how to proceed. Kohan Law Group’s attorneys know these laws inside and out and will use them strategically on your behalf.
Adverse Possession in New York
New York’s adverse possession law, codified under RPAPL Article 5, allows a person to acquire legal title to another’s land if they have openly, continuously, exclusively, and actually occupied it for 10 years with a reasonable belief that the property belongs to them. Since the 2008 amendments to the RPAPL, courts require a genuine “claim of right” grounded in a reasonable belief, making de minimis encroachments, such as small sheds or hedges, generally insufficient to establish adverse possession. However, substantial structures, driveways, and long-term improvements can still give rise to a valid claim. If you suspect a neighbor is laying the groundwork for an adverse possession claim against your land, do not wait.
Private Nuisance
New York courts recognize private nuisance as intentional, unreasonable interference with a landowner’s use and enjoyment of their property. Noise that regularly exceeds acceptable levels, noxious odors, bright lights, and similar persistent disturbances can form the basis for a nuisance claim seeking an injunction and monetary damages.
Trespass to Land
In New York, trespass occurs when a neighbor physically enters your property or places objects on it without permission. Even if no damage results, a court can issue an injunction prohibiting future trespass. When trespass causes property damage, you can recover compensation.
Quiet Title Actions
When the legal ownership or boundary of a property is genuinely disputed, a quiet title action asks the court to establish the definitive property line or determine who holds title. Quiet title proceedings are frequently used to resolve boundary disputes where competing surveys produce conflicting results.
How Does Kohan Law Group Approach Neighbor Dispute Litigation?
At Kohan Law Group, we are litigators first. While we are always willing to explore settlement when it serves our clients, we do not approach neighbor disputes as matters that will simply resolve themselves. We know that in Nassau County’s high-value real estate market, a few feet of disputed land or a persistent nuisance can have significant financial and personal consequences.
When you bring a neighbor or boundary dispute to our firm, we will:
- Conduct a thorough review of your deed, prior surveys, plat maps, and title history to establish the factual and legal foundation of your claim.
- Coordinate with qualified land surveyors when a professional survey is necessary to establish accurate boundary lines.
- Identify and pursue all available legal remedies, including injunctive relief, quiet title actions, ejectment, and monetary damages.
- Aggressively negotiate from a position of strength, backed by a thorough investigation and litigation-ready case strategy.
- Take your case to court if your neighbor refuses to acknowledge the law or cooperate with a fair resolution.
Our attorneys also handle related real estate litigation matters throughout Nassau County and New York City, including foreclosure defense and landlord-tenant litigation.
Fight for Your Property Rights with Kohan Law Group
A neighbor dispute left unresolved rarely improves on its own. The longer an encroachment continues, the more complicated the legal resolution can become. Kohan Law Group represents Nassau County and New York property owners who are ready to take action. Contact our firm today for a consultation with an experienced neighbor and boundary dispute attorney.
Frequently Asked Questions About Neighbor Disputes in Nassau County
My neighbor built a fence on what I believe is my property. What can I do?
The first step is to obtain a current professional survey to determine where your legal property line actually sits. If the survey confirms the encroachment, you have grounds to demand removal and, if your neighbor refuses, to seek a court order compelling them to remove the fence. You may also be entitled to compensation for any damage caused. Do not move or remove the fence yourself, as this can complicate your legal position. Contact a Nassau County neighbor-dispute attorney to properly protect your rights.
How long does a neighbor have to use my property before they can claim adverse possession?
In New York, the period for adverse possession is 10 years. The occupying party must demonstrate continuous, open, notorious, exclusive, and actual use under a claim of right throughout that period. Since 2008, courts have also required that the adverse possessor had a reasonable basis to believe the property was theirs.
Can I sue my neighbor for a nuisance in New York?
Yes. New York courts recognize private nuisance claims when a neighbor’s conduct substantially and unreasonably interferes with your use and enjoyment of your property. If the interference is ongoing and significant, such as persistent noise, odors, or light intrusion, you may be able to obtain a court injunction requiring your neighbor to stop, as well as damages for the harm you have suffered.