Occasionally, neighbours have disagreements over things such as trees, fences, overhanging tree limbs and more. While they can be settled amicably between the two neighbours, there are times the Weyburn Police Service is called out.

“The trees, and the fence line, and the neighbours and that are always an interesting issue for us,” explained Weyburn Police Service Deputy Chief Rod Stafford. “Rarely does it ever result in criminal proceedings, or perhaps even proceedings under the bylaw.”

Stafford pointed out most times, the officers help to mediate the situation.

“We know from experience, both legally with files we have investigated, and anecdotally within the office on a personal note, unless you have built a fence in a new property once it has been surveyed, the older properties sometimes, the fence is not exactly where the property line is.”

In those situations, Stafford said it pays to sit down and have a conversation with your neighbour about the options available with concerns such as overhanging tree limbs, which may be causing debris in a yard. From there, there can be a discussion about how to deal with the issue, and determine who will be responsible for taking care of it.

Stafford does state, though, if an agreement can’t be reached, it may be necessary to get an exact finding of where the property line runs, and may even require a legal opinion of your rights as a neighbour or tree owner.