Property Disputes in Salt Lake City, UT

Property disputes in Utah are common between neighbors. They even occur between companies and governments. People want to protect what is legally theirs, but sometimes the boundary lines are not clear.

Find out what you can do if you have a property dispute in Salt Lake City, Utah. Discover the legal remedies and actions that can help you clear up a misunderstanding, arrange a settlement, or manage an issue involving your property.

What Is a Property Dispute?

Property disputes are legal disputes that involve real estate, including single-family homes, apartments, roads, condominiums, and ponds. Salt Lake City, UT property disputes can involve a wide range of parties, which might include some of the following:

• Neighbors
• Homeowners’ association
• Landlords and tenants
• Family members
• Trespassers
• Property visitors
• Government agencies

The Salt Lake County District Court has jurisdiction over most property disputes in Salt Lake City. However, the Salt Lake City Justice Court can hear small claims under $11,000.

Common Types of Salt Lake City, Utah Property Disputes

It’s important to know about common disputes to understand your circumstances. The most common property disputes often include:

• Disputes between neighbors regarding where property lines exist
• Disputes between landlords and tenants regarding who is at fault for damage to the property
• Homeowners and real estate developers disagreeing over who is responsible for repairs on construction
• People blocking their neighbor’s view via a “spite fence” or another structure specifically made to annoy their neighbor
• Disputes between mortgage lenders and creditors over who can foreclose a property and who receives the proceeds of a sale
• Disputes between homeowners and government agencies about whether they have a utility easement
• Ownership disputes about who is the rightful owner of a property
• Issues with zoning

Beyond these examples, you may find other situations in Salt Lake City where a property dispute occurs. In general, if you own land, you have to constantly watch out for it and ensure that others are not using it illegally or trying to claim it as their own.

Understanding Typical Salt Lake City, Utah Property Disputes

Trees on or near a property line can often be a source of disputes between Salt Lake City neighbors. Utah courts follow the common law principle that allows you to trim branches that overhang your property. However, you must be careful not to damage the tree. Under Utah Code, you can be liable for up to 3 times the actual cost of damages to the tree. Furthermore, Salt Lake City Code requires any pruning or trimming of certain trees to be handled by a certified arborist.

Agricultural operations can be another source of contention between Salt Lake City neighbors. However, Utah, like all states, has Right to Farm laws that protect farmers from many nuisance lawsuits. Utah’s Agricultural Operations Nuisances Act construes this protection very broadly. In fact, any one of three circumstances can be a complete defense in a Salt Lake City nuisance action:

• The plaintiff is not the legal owner of the real property affected by the conditions,

• The affected property is more than half a mile away from the source of the alleged nuisance, or

• Agricultural operation has been in place, without a fundamental change, for at least one year

Legal Process for Boundary Disputes In Salt Lake City, Utah

Has someone brought a property dispute against you in Salt Lake City, or are you starting a property dispute against someone else? If so, you need to understand the legal process you will go through. This process begins with understanding the issue at hand.

Understand the Boundary Issue

To understand the specific boundary dispute, you’ll have to do the following things:

• Complete a land survey to locate the exact boundary of your home as outlined in the legal description of the deed. This survey will help you understand your property and how much of your land is encroached.
• Conduct an appraisal to learn the exact market value of the piece of property that is in dispute.
• Do a title search to find all of the documents in the chain of title of your Salt Lake City, UT property. The title search will show if any deeds may affect your ownership.

These things will likely have happened when you purchased the home. If that’s the case, the documents you already have should suffice unless the case goes to court.

Fence and boundary disputes in Salt Lake City often involve a combination of state statute, common law, and local ordinance. For example, the Utah statute regarding boundary fences only applies to agricultural properties. However, under common law, many Utah courts apply the same rules to residential properties. In addition, Salt Lake City also has local fence requirements, as well as restrictions on location, materials, and height.

Try to Find a Solution with Your Neighbor

Property dispute litigation in Salt Lake City, Utah can cost a fortune, not to mention it can take a long time to settle a dispute. Therefore, it’s important to open a discussion between you and your neighbor. If you can reach an agreement and settle the dispute without going to court, you can save time and money.

Try to communicate directly with your neighbor. You can attempt sending a letter, email, making a phone call, or visiting their home if that’s a safe option.

If no progress happens and it’s clear that you and your neighbor are still on completely different pages, at this point, you should consider hiring an attorney to assist you. They can help you understand if you have legal grounds upon which to stand. If you do, then you can send a demand letter.

Sending a Demand Letter

This letter will be from your Salt Lake City attorney to your neighbor, and it will outline the property dispute. It will give your neighbor the option to respond via a requested action, or it will provide a reasonable price for settling the dispute out of court.

Your neighbor will likely forward this letter to their attorney to better understand the boundary dispute. From there, the attorneys on both sides will decide the best course of action moving forward.

Going to Court or Reaching a Settlement

Typically, the best option for both sides is to settle the dispute out of court to avoid costly litigation fees. But if your negotiations are going nowhere, it might be necessary to file the dispute with the court. The court will then look closely at the evidence presented and determine who owns the Salt Lake City, UT property in question. Keep in mind the court’s decision is legally binding. You may not agree with it, or it may not be exactly the result you wanted to see. That is why it’s typically in your best interest to settle.

Either the Salt Lake County District Court or the Salt Lake City Justice Court will handle your Salt Lake City property dispute. In addition, the Utah Department of Commerce administers a nonjudicial ombudsman program that can offer a non-binding advisory opinion on some property issues.

Work With an Experienced Local Property Dispute Lawyer In Salt Lake City, Utah

When it comes to property disputes, you should work with an experienced property dispute lawyer. Whether you’re filing a property dispute against your neighbor or you are defending a dispute brought against you, you’ll need a lawyer that understands Salt Lake City property law on your side. An experienced lawyer can help you settle before taking the dispute to court, which will save you both time and money. We can even help you connect with an attorney across Utah state lines.

Submit a request online or call us today at (866) 345-6784 to get in touch with an attorney in your area!