What can I do when a neighbor's fence crosses the property line?

[AmeliaJL]

My neighbor's new fence is about six inches over the property line according to my recent survey. I politely showed him the paperwork, but he's refusing to move it, saying it's been that way for years and it's now his land. I’m not sure how to proceed without this turning into a huge legal fight.

[RichardS]

I’ve been in a similar spot. I hired a licensed surveyor to re-mark the boundary and brought the stamped drawing to my neighbor. It helped a little, but he still said it didn’t matter because it’s ‘always been there.’ We paused to consider a neutral mediator before any fence moves.

[Emma_M]

Six inches is tight but not a cliff. I kept it civil, wrote down every conversation, and tried to keep the yard stuff separate from the line. It buys time and keeps the door open for a quieter fix.

[Stephen54]

Do you think a formal boundary agreement recorded at the county level would actually change things, or is the real issue the fence itself?

[Paisley_M]

One thing that threw me for a loop was how the yard use kept shifting around the line—mowing patterns, planting beds, a shed corner. It made it feel personal even when it was just a line on a map. Still, proof matters and a professional marker might be the only thing that stops the back and forth.