Buying Part of a Neighbor's Property

[flivvr]

Jurisdiction

Pennsylvania

I am in the process of buying a part of my neighbor's property.

1. Can any of the emails that we have been sending back and forth be considered a letter of intent? What would need to be in the email for it to be treated as a letter of intent?
2. Is it possible for my neightbor to steal my property by changing the property lines on a proposed survey and submitting it to the township before the closing?
3. Should I find a lawyer for this situation? If so, what kind of lawyer do I need?

Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[zddoodah]

Can any of the emails that we have been sending back and forth be considered a letter of intent? What would need to be in the email for it to be treated as a letter of intent?

No one here could possibly speak intelligently about how any email or any other document we haven't read might be construed. It's also not clear why it would matter if anyone considered any email to be a "letter of intent."

Is it possible for my neightbor to steal my property by changing the property lines on a proposed survey and submitting it to the township before the closing?

In the abstract world of all that is hypothetical, almost anything is possible.

Should I find a lawyer for this situation? If so, what kind of lawyer do I need?

Yes. One who handles real estate transactions.

 

[adjusterjack]

Should I find a lawyer for this situation?

Based on questions 1 and 2 the answer to that is an emphatic yes.

If so, what kind of lawyer do I need?

A real estate lawyer.

 

[flyingron]

What do you think a letter of intent will or will not do for you?
Sumbitting the survey for what purpose? You can't change properties by a unilateral filing of a survey.
I agree you need a real estate lawyer. Partitioning a property and the transfer isn't a straight forward thing to be attempted by lay people. Both of you could end up with a cloud on the tittle or perhaps not achieving what you think you're achieving. It's even cloudier when there are other encumbrances on the property (mortgages, etc...).

 

[welkin]

I am in the process of buying a part of my neighbor's property.

You have a lot to learn about how you go about buying a part of your neighbor's land. In the first place you can't just agree with your neighbor to buy a part of his land that is already a lot of record without your neighbor (and you) submitting an application to the local planning jurisdiction for any of the following three actions: Subdividing a recognized lot or lots, Consolidating contiguous lots or Adjusting lot line locations between lots. Some are more complicated than the others.

I suggest you call your local Planning department and find what exactly you need to do.