FAQs / Details / Monroe County, IN

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Question

What do I do if I'm having a dispute with my neighbor about a fence?

Answer

For fence disputes within the Bloomington city limits, contact the City of Bloomington Planning and Transportation Department. For fence disputes in Ellettsville, contact the Town of Ellettsville Planning Department. The Monroe County Surveyor’s Office always recommends getting a boundary survey before construction of a fence. The County Surveyor does not perform boundary surveys for private citizens. Our office performs PLSS Section Corner Perpetuation. Section corners form the framework for property lines in Monroe County, and they are used by local surveyors to complete boundary surveys. If a survey of private property is needed, the property owner will need to hire a private surveyor. We cannot recommend a surveyor, but we have created a partial list of area surveyors as a convenience for the public; it does not constitute a recommendation or endorsement of any entity or individual. If there is a dispute regarding a fence line in a rural area where at least one of the parcels is considered agricultural, then the township trustee may be able to help. The brochure attached below from the Purdue Extension outlines the state law. Agricultural land is: 1. Zoned or otherwise designated as agricultural land; 2. used for growing crops or raising livestock; or 3. reserved for conservation. If one of the parcels could reasonably be considered agricultural, but it is not zoned that way, it may be possible to have it rezoned or reclassified. Contact the Monroe County Planning Department to see if this might be a possibility. The Monroe County Planning Department may prohibit the construction of fences that obstruct vehicular sight distances. The Monroe County Building Department requires a building permit for construction of fences over six-feet in height. If both parcels are residential, the fence height will not exceed six-feet, and the fence will not obstruct vehicular sight distances, then we are not aware of any county ordinance or agency that can stop construction of a fence. If one of the property owners wants to stop construction of the fence, they may need to hire a real estate attorney to help them obtain an injunction to stop construction until a survey is performed or the issue is resolved in some other way.