I am cutting down some trees on one border of my land. I have the boundary pins located on both ends. The trees lie in the middle and when I am at one end I can't see through the trees to the other end(boundary pin). I have thought about having the wife wear orange vest and stand at one pin or have her shine a flashlight towards the other pin. I don't want to cut down any of the trees on the neighbors property. Is there a way that I can get in the general vicinity and gradually take out enough trees to clearly see the other boundary without enlisting the expense of a surveyor? Google earth perhaps or a portable consumer grade gps?
Cutting down some trees and have a question
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smstonypoint
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It would be a good idea to consult your neighbor to see whether he/she agrees with your determination of the boundary line, regardless of how you make that determination (i.e., without additional surveying).
Steve
Gary Fowler
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You could use a rifle scope and a field support and sight down the line with your field support on the property pin and helper holding a vertical stake on the opposite pin. If you cant see it then the trees are on your side. Caution, make sure the gun isn't loaded or you could just use the scope and hold by hand.
dave1949
Super Star Member
If you can, measure out 10-20 feet perpendicular from the pins at each end. Establish a clear line of site along that line. Using two people, you should be able to put some temporary posts in on that line. Then you have a straight line to measure towards the boundary from, a known distance.
GPS is not accurate enough. You would need a good Google Earth image to work from. I don't have that, perhaps you do.
GPS is not accurate enough. You would need a good Google Earth image to work from. I don't have that, perhaps you do.
Fossil Farm
Platinum Member
Let the neighbor know what you are doing first if possible. How far apart are the pins? You could use a plumb bob and a hand held or tripod mounted laser, or measure off the property pins a set number of feet on both ends where you can easily see both points and set your line, then measure off that line back to the property boundary using the laser.
mbohuntr
Platinum Member
Most landowners are very appreciative of a considerate neighbor. You might find the jerk in the bunch, but you might also end up with an excellent relationship with your neighbor and that is priceless... I have gained plenty of hunting opportunities by being respectful...
dave1949
Super Star Member
Some interesting legal stuff about trees and boundaries in Maine.
The fruit growing on a neighbor's tree that hangs over the boundary, or falls on your side of the boundary, belongs to the neighbor.
A tree on the boundary line can only be removed with consent of all owners.
Branches or limbs from a neighbor's tree that extend across the boundary can be trimmed back to the property line only. Your trimming may not damage or destroy the tree. You may be held liable for damage or death of the tree up to three times its value. The trimmed wood belongs to the neighbor.
The fruit growing on a neighbor's tree that hangs over the boundary, or falls on your side of the boundary, belongs to the neighbor.
A tree on the boundary line can only be removed with consent of all owners.
Branches or limbs from a neighbor's tree that extend across the boundary can be trimmed back to the property line only. Your trimming may not damage or destroy the tree. You may be held liable for damage or death of the tree up to three times its value. The trimmed wood belongs to the neighbor.
coobie
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Great advice here.You could be stung with a big bill if you are wrong.
farmer2009
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Some states the line trees are property of both land owners. And when the neighbor brings in a logging crew they can't cut those unless they pay you half or you agree. Plus you can acuaully hold them off the line by x feet if you choose. Like I said that is some states so I would check.
gwdixon
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If you are sure of the location of the two boundary stakes then Google Earth can be quite helpful. Zoom in as close as possible and put a pushpin at the location of the stakes.
Then zoom out and connect the two pushpins with a line. Save the changes.
Then print out a picture of the pushpins w/line so that it fills up most of the 8 1/2 by 11" piece of paper. That should show the exact location of the trees relative to the property line. Note the date of the Google Earth photo (it is at the bottom of the page).
Finally, share the picture with the neighbor to get agreement of the location of the trees and what you intend to do with them. If possible, get the agreement in writing. Then you'll be good to go.
I did this to cut a path through my eucalyptus orchards from my Internet dish to the transmission tower. Worked great! Showed each individual tree to cut down to clear the path.
Then zoom out and connect the two pushpins with a line. Save the changes.
Then print out a picture of the pushpins w/line so that it fills up most of the 8 1/2 by 11" piece of paper. That should show the exact location of the trees relative to the property line. Note the date of the Google Earth photo (it is at the bottom of the page).
Finally, share the picture with the neighbor to get agreement of the location of the trees and what you intend to do with them. If possible, get the agreement in writing. Then you'll be good to go.
I did this to cut a path through my eucalyptus orchards from my Internet dish to the transmission tower. Worked great! Showed each individual tree to cut down to clear the path.
/pine
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You don't say how long the property line is...just cut the brush back (like any surveyor would do) to get a clear line of sight...then pull a string from peg to peg...or use a cheap laser pointer (when it dark enough)...
IMO...it's usually nice to leave a buffer between properties...FWIW...
IMO...it's usually nice to leave a buffer between properties...FWIW...
tractchores
Veteran Member
Google earth is not accurate enough to cut trees on a property line. I used it on mine before a real survey and I'm in an area with very good images and while it was close it was +/- 10' in places. Cutting someone elses trees can get seriously expensive. If it's just brush tell the neighbor and they probably won't have an issue if you're just clearing to get a real line of site like a surveyor does. BTW most surveyors will set witness pins back a bit from your line and cut the line of site that way VS cutting on someone elses land and they're only cutting small trees a few inches across, not mature trees.
newbury
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As others wrote it's best to cooridinate with the neighbor.
BUT if that's not possible and if the wife is willingly to go along with it and you can see her in the vest from the other pin that should work.
I'd suggest sighting thru a scope and carefully picking out trees you are dead positive are on on your land, then marking them and first just thin them to get a more accurate view.
gwdixon
Elite Member
A photograph being off +/- 10 feet is a little much to accept, especially if the photo is zoomed in to the max. Otherwise the photo would be completely distorted.
Now, in the case of a GPS device, the error factor is definitely there.
tractchores
Veteran Member
Unless you have an amazingly easy to identfy item at the corners of the lot then the issue is locating accurate places to measure from and then transfering them from google earth into reality. In my case I had some decent boundaries (stone walls) on 2 lines, I used the angles and FT measures from google earth images to determine the other lines. That's where the error comes in. Surveyors are marking in a much more sophisticated manner and it's not just that the "stone wall" is the boundary, but a specific point on the wall or other land mark. So when removing trees even an error of a few feet can be a big deal.... If it's just to get an idea then it's good enough, but can't replace a real survey.
oosik
Epic Contributor
Here, on my property, I'm glad to have a few of the big Ponderosa pines right on the property line. I use them as fence posts and after spiking a 2x8 to the side of the pine I nail the barbed wire to the 2x8. One of my property corners IS a big pine - its about 5 feet inside my line, but out here, who cares. Three of my corners have been properly surveyed and staked, one with a geologic monument, and the fourth is out in the middle of my shared big lake. I've tried everything to retain a monument for the corner, in the lake, but every spring the ice will remove it. Otherwise, I don't think even think the ducks or geese give a hoot if this corner is properly marked.
