You did it! You got a Real Property Report!
But wait…where is that little blue stamp? Why is it covered in big red words like ‘encroachment’ and ‘advisory?’
Follow along as we break down the most common types of encroachments and share some top tips when it comes to preparing your property for compliance.
First Off: What is an encroachment?
Simply put, an encroachment is defined as a building or structure that projects outside a property line onto City land.
It can be a challenge to keep track of what is allowed and where on a property – a Real Property Report will not only show your properties boundary lines but will provide exact measurements of any structures or buildings residing on your property. A Real Property Report will reflect any encroachments found on the property.
Common Encroachments:
As a survey team, we have seen our fair share of encroachments advisories and have created a list below with some of the most common encroachments that we come across on a Real Property Report.
- Fences: We often find that fences encroach into city property either into the rear lane, or across the front of the property A fence encroaching from 0-0.34m will require a consent letter which will cost $50.00. Anything over 0.34 requires an encroachment agreement and the price will go up significantly. We often find that fences encroach into city property either into the rear lane, or across the front of the property.
- Retaining Walls: Retaining walls are looked at similar to fences. The only difference is the height factor. The city will price the encroachment fee’s according to height and length of encroachment.
- City Right of Way: The most common right of ways are overland drainage (concrete swale) and utility right of ways. Utility right of ways can be at the front of a property or run along the side in some cases. Any object shown on an RPR to be encroaching into a city right of way will be considered an encroachment.
Well…Now what?
If your RPR is sent back with an encroachment advisory – do not fear! Municipalities provide many different options to help smooth over the encroachment process to ensure that it receives a stamp of compliance.
Have any further questions regarding encroachments? Think you might have an encroachment on your property? Give us a call (403-277-1272) or drop us an email at info@arcsurveys.ca. We’ll help you get a better understanding on encroachments and how to get that compliance stamp on your Real Property Report.
Arc Surveys
We help you sleep better by providing Real Property Reports and Land Surveying solutions.
