Showerthought: I was clearing a storm-damaged willow in Boise last Tuesday and the client's neighbor came over to argue the property line.

Has anyone else had a job get complicated by a property dispute, and how do you handle it without just stopping work?

2 comments

2 Comments

We had a fence crew at my old landscaping job get shut down for two days over six inches of dirt. The best move is to stop work right then and tell the client you need a copy of the survey or property pins located before you touch another branch. Let them sort it out with their neighbor while you're on the clock, because you don't want to be liable for cutting something on the wrong lot. In my experience, getting paid to wait is better than eating the cost of a mistake or a lawsuit.

patricia_kelly23d ago

Right? We had a job stall for a week over a property line hedge. Client was mad but better that than us getting sued for trespass. Getting paid to wait is always the smart move.