A fence that extends 3 feet onto a neighbor’s lawn is an example of what?

A fence that extends 3 feet onto a neighbor’s lawn is an example of encroachment. Encroachment occurs when a property owner extends their property or structure beyond their legal property lines onto a neighboring property without permission. This can lead to disputes between property owners, as the encroaching party may be unintentionally infringing upon the neighbor’s rights to their own land.

Understanding encroachment is critical in real estate, as it can have legal implications, including the potential for an injunction to remove the encroaching structure or damages for any infringement. In this scenario, the fence that crosses over onto a neighbor's property clearly illustrates a physical invasion of that property, which characterizes encroachment.

While terms like boundary dispute, easement, and lease violation relate to property and land use issues, they describe different situations. A boundary dispute involves disagreements over where property lines are located, an easement is a legal right to use another's land for a specific purpose, and a lease violation pertains to noncompliance with a rental agreement. However, none of these terms accurately describe the situation of the fence extending beyond its own property boundaries, making encroachment the most fitting term in this context.