It might not be the first thing that comes to mind when
house-hunting, but it's important when purchasing your
property to fully understand what your boundaries are to avoid any
disputes with your future neighbours. Boundaries aren't always
obvious, and Jersey Law deals with them and other matters in its
own individual way.
Boundaries and Offsets or "Relief"
The boundaries of a property are described in its title contract
and usually consist of walls, boundary stones and other physical
enclosures such as a bank or a hedge, or, more recently, by GPRS
co-ordinates.
If a wall or other enclosure is stated to be party owned (which
means you jointly own it with your neighbour), then the boundary
line runs down the middle of that wall or enclosure. However if
properties are divided by means of a demarcation line rather than a
physical fence or wall, and there is no provision enabling anyone
to build a wall or fence over or up to that line, then an off-set
or "relief"
