How to determine property lines in Los Angeles county?

My mother needs to put in a new fence and it seems as if the previous neighbors put the old fence about a foot inside my mother's property. Of course, if she will put in a new fence she wants to make sure it accurately covers her property. How can we determine where her property boundary lines are at, before seeking a land survey? What LA county office would house this information?

How to determine property lines in Los Angeles county?
Although a survey exists she HAS to have a surveyer come out and show her exactly where every line it. They will flag it off for her.





It will cost 250-300. It will be worth every penny to keep her land from shrinking.
Reply:OK.. California does not require surveys on the sale or exchange of property, so your first step is to find out if one was done for the original construction.





1) Go to the local building department and see if they have copies of old surveys for either your property or the adjacent neighbors. Try the City Engineer's office and if LA County has one the City or County surveyor.





2) While you are there ask if the neighbor got a permit for the new fence.. doesnt hurt to ask.





3) No luck? Forget about the assessors maps.. they are handy guidelines but, as I tell my clients, they are devised for the purpose of setting taxes and if they are off a few inches or feet, the assessor won't care because it does not affect a significant tax amount.





4) In the long run, if you come up dry, you will need to have a survey done. Ask the surveyor to give you a report on the location of the fence, NOT set the property line. If the surveyor sets the property line he will also have to file a map or a document with the County which will cost you a few more $$. If he reports on the fence he may not have to and then, based on that report you can decide if you need the line actually set.





Keep in mind, that if that fence has been there for some period of time, even if it IS on your mom's land, the neighbor may have acquired the rights to keep it there (prescriptive use). If so you will need to work with the neighbor to clear that up or it might impact the eventual sale of both houses.





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Reply:When she bought the house she got a survey or used an old survey. If she lost it she could call the title company and ask if they could look up the file. The county would have a plot for the neighborhood. But all this may not help her. She needs someone to put up those little flags so that she can know where to put the fence- a plat will only provide a picture of the lot and you would still have to make careful measurements and hope you are not going off in a slightly wrong direction.
Reply:The Los Angeles County Recorder's Office keeps property documents and real estate records. There may be a survey on file there from when your mother or a previous owner bought the place.

buckles