Boundary - am losing the plot!

[Sharpkat]

I know the photo won’t show up initially.

I am replacing my garden fence. I am replacing it on all 3 sides. I think according to the photo, the fence on the right is “mine” and therefore I can remove and replace. The owners of that property seem to think it is theirs. Regardless, a new fence is going up but would rather not add it on the side of both long sides because we cannot agree on the boundary.

am I losing the plot here? Thanks so much

I’ve just pasted that photo into Chat GPT and it advises that those blue and black lines are NOT T-marks so, from that photo, it is not possible to tell who owns that particular fence boundary.

That diagram doesn't show ownership or responsibility of the boundary. We saw a similarly unclear map when we were buying our house. After the move we got a pile of paper work from the solicitors with another map from the land registry showing the T's and the previous owner had told us the wrong info about fences....presumably because the ones we actually have responsibility for need replacing.

Thank you both so much. I am going through all of the paperwork now. I wonder if it is this one with the T mark.

The document that that picture is part of says: “to maintain and repair and renew any wall or fence marked “T” on the Plan within the boundary of the property.”

This is what ChatGPT says about that new diagram :
This second image is much clearer — and this time yes, that does look like a genuine T-mark.
What I’m seeing

• There is a single blue “T” shape sitting on the boundary line of your property (inside the red edging).
• It’s not repeated and it’s perpendicular to the boundary, which is exactly how T-marks are drawn.
• The “top” of the T sits on the boundary, and the stem points into your property.

What that means 👉 A T-mark pointing into your land usually indicates: You are responsible for that boundary feature (i.e. the fence). So in this case:

• That section of boundary (where the T is shown) is your responsibility to maintain.

Important nuance

• It applies only to the section where the T-mark is placed
• If there are no T-marks elsewhere, responsibility for other sides is not defined here
• Occasionally, colour can vary (blue/black) depending on how the plan has been reproduced — the shape and placement matter more than colour

Bottom line

• Yes — this marking is very likely a T-mark
• It indicates you own/maintain that boundary (the fence) on that side

@27pilatesthank you so much. Am off to talk
to chat gpt about some other questions!

If that T mark is there then that boundary is your responsibility. However it’s not always that simple.

Id ask the neighbours on what basis they think it’s theirs. Maybe they once got fed up of waiting for the old owners of your house to replace a broken fence, so they paid for a new one themselves.

As always with fences it comes down to good communication with the neighbours. Keep it amicable and hopefully they won’t object to having a nice new fence along their garden at your expense.

Thanks @Doris86. They want to sell so hopefully won’t object!

Chat gpt is making it up.
Unless you are sure that the fence that's there is the original fence put up, the T marks are more of a hint than anything definitive. You would have to look at statements from the previous owners about who maintains them and anything they know. If the neighbour says they are theirs and they maintain them, you should be very wary about touching them as you could end up in a lot of trouble. Engaging a surveyor to provide an opinion might help but is unlikely to be definitive, but could provide useful evidence.
If you're really desperate for your own fence, safest to put it on your side of the existing, for an easy life.

you would be better reading the Land Registry's own guidance on boundary marks....

see Section 8 here:
HM Land Registry plans: boundaries (practice guide 40, supplement 3) - GOV.UK

tale especial notice of the LR's own caveat (my bolding):
"‘T’ marks on deed plans which are not referred to in the text of a deed have no special force or meaning in law and unless an applicant specifically requests that the ‘T’ marks be shown on the title plan, we will normally ignore them"

In plain terms, it is the words that matter, not where or how the T has been drawn

Thanks @Wot23 - the deeds do reference the T mark so will go with that guidance.

The t marks tell you who “owns” the boundary but not who owns the fence structure. For example we paid (a lot) for a fence on the boundary we don’t own, as there was none and the owner of the next house didn’t want to install one (didn’t mind ours just didn’t want to pay)

id suggest ask them if they actually put the fence up. If so it’s theirs.

Thanks @MotherOfCrocodilesMy house was previously a rental and next door is a rental. The fence predates the current owners. I suspect they will just allow me to change the fence given they are putting it on the market.