My Property Lines

My brother John, owner/operator of Les Vants Aerial Photos, took the above photos while flying over in August of 2007.

He took the above shots in February of 2011, showing the property without the tree cover but with lots of snow.

Below are Official Records for My Property
Click thumbnails for a larger picture

South Essex County Registry of Deeds
Land Survey of Property

Since before I moved here 18 years ago, the dense thicket of Japanese knotweed between my property and the neighbors' to my east and northeast has provided a privacy screen, especially throughout the summer, as the photos above attest. I hadn't given it much thought until a few years ago when new neighbors moved into 19 Santry Road. Then, one afternoon Barbara heard thrashing and crashing coming through the bamboo, alerted me. I came out and I stopped an older woman speaking apparently Russian from chopping it all down ― she was almost into my back yard proper. I was shocked by her presence well onto my property and the damage she'd accomplished, but it was done.

Now that I have a clear view across the property line, last fall I noticed a man out back pulling down and dragging off the rather dilapidated stockade fence that separated our properties. That fence used to surround this property but over the years has unfortunately been collapsing. I'm not sure who actually owns it, but I understand that a previous owner of my lot long ago had horses (and a barn) and had fenced in the entire property to keep them within ― so I think it belongs to me. I introduced myself, met Vladimir and advised him that the fence marked our property line.

I thought that was the end of it, but last weekend I noticed him out there again  wandering about our denuded border, looking around though not making any further alterations to my property. (When the bamboo thicket was still standing I wouldn't have seen him at all.)

While consulting with the town's most helpful planning engineer, Willy Lanphear, this week, he provided me with copies of the property plot plans and official land surveys as well as some excellent advice. (The Southern Essex County Registry of Deed subsequently provided even more detailed plot plans.) I returned home and, as advised, marked off the property line separating us with a string, florescent ribbons tied to it. That evening I began this web page.

Robert Frost said "Good fences make good neighbors." The fence between us is now gone, but a dividing line is now in place so there shouldn't be any further misunderstanding. I hope Vlad and I can remain good neighbors, even without the fence.

―March 27, 2014

The ribboned line indicates the property line between our lots, taken with my back to one end shooting northeast toward the other.

The ribboned line indicates the property line between our lots, taken with my back to one end shooting southwest toward the other.