Austin Construction And Real Estate Law Blog

As a Texas property owner, you have the right to protect your investment. This may mean several things, and one of them may include keeping the wrong people off your land or off your property. This can be particularly difficult when there is confusion and disagreement over where the property lines actually are. It is important to clearly establish where your land ends and your neighbor's begins. 

Boundary disputes can be much more than an inconvenience for you as the property owner. Not only could this mean that you may find people walking across your land, but it could also mean that your neighbor may try to erect a fence, build a structure or even put a pool in – over where you believe your property line is. This is frustrating and stressful, but thankfully, there are legal options available.

Building a new construction project in Texas can be a lengthy, arduous process. Your progress is subject to everything from the weather to the whims of the contractor. It can be frustrating and expensive, but it may seem like all of the hassle was worth it when it's over and you can finally occupy the space. 

Days, weeks or even months after you move in, you may notice certain problems. With new construction, it is rather common to see cosmetic issues that fixing, finishes that need changing or other problems that need addressing. One of the most serious is water intrusion. Water issues are particularly serious because they can often indicate serious underlying problems and eventually lead to mold, structural damage and more.

One of the biggest unknowns in any construction project is the weather. When you bid for a job, negotiate the contract and start the job, you can't predict what the weather will do from day to day after construction begins.

For this reason, you need to include provisions in your contract regarding what happens when weather stops work. You need to identify what weather events allow excusable delays and what kind of extension of time you receive.

You've probably heard the old adage that says, "good fences make good neighbors." It comes from a poem by Robert Frost, and it's good advice if you ever want to sell your property. Unmarked boundary lines can result in your neighbor building either all or part of a new garage on your land.

You might not have a problem with this at first since it doesn't interfere with how you live on your property. However, if you put your property on the market, a potential buyer could take issue with the garage's position. For this reason, if you even slightly believe that you could sell, you may want to address the issue now rather than later. Of course, the best time to do so would be before the structure goes up, but you may not have fully considered future problems when it happened.