Suppose you have a big yard that you are not currently using. Your neighbor, whose yard is considerably smaller, has a child who is a rising young soccer star. One day, you notice that the child’s soccer goal has been moved to a section of your property. Should you continue to allow this encroachment or ask them to move it back?
It might seem like the easiest and kindest thing is to let the child continue to practice his soccer goals on a portion of your property. But that decision could come back to haunt you. Below are some considerations to understand before ceding access.
You could be liable for injuries that occur
If that child or his soccer mates suffer any injuries, you could bear some liability for their treatment and other damages. Worse, it could cause your homeowner’s insurance to drop you or raise your rates substantially.
The neighbor could lay claim to that property
If their use continues over time without your intercession and they provide the upkeep for the property, at some point, they could make the case that the property is theirs. While this may never happen, should you try to sell your property, you could face legal problems down the road with potential buyers who use an earlier property survey you commissioned to determine the value of the property.
Be proactive over property rights
There’s no reason to jump immediately into litigation when a simple friendly conversation may do the trick. However, if that fails to resolve your situation, you should not hesitate to learn more about your legal rights under the laws of the state of Texas.
