A brief story from the RE trenches…
There is a saying, “What’s better than your own pool? Having a neighbor with a pool!”
Well, maybe not.
I sold a house recently, where the neighbor had installed an elaborate pool, complete with stamped concrete patio surround, beautiful professional landscaping, and an elegant black iron fence to enclose the whole thing. Gorgeous, right?
Unfortunately, when they selected the pool installer, they did not require that company to complete an instrument survey as part of the contract.
In this case, the installer went to the town building department for a plot plan. The building department handed off an incorrect plan to the pool contractor. This plan was attached to the approved building permit. The installer used the incorrect plan to stake out the lot for the installation of the pool area.
The concrete pool patio, and the black fence, are located well over the property line.
I could go on and on about all the problems this has created for everyone in the transaction – buyer, seller, agents – as well as the title issue for the neighbor with the pool, but I’ve already conveyed the important piece of the story. Suffice to say, this deal is not closing on time, and all parties are upset.
IMPORTANT POINT: When you are planning any accessory structure – a pool, a shed, a fence, etc – you should always have an instrument survey done, before anything is installed.
