Flemington Legal Blog

Different parcels of land touch at their boundary lines. When a New Jersey resident reviews the title to a parcel they may find the legal description of how the parcel is situated and how far it extends. It is often possible for individuals to go back to their land use and ownership documents to find out exactly where their properties start and their neighbors' properties end.

However, when land descriptions are incomplete or purportedly inaccurate, individuals may need to look into other options to resolve their boundary disputes. They may choose to have a new survey of the land in question done to re-establish the right division lines between the properties. They may also choose to come to an agreement concerning where the boundary lines should lie; when this option is exercised the property owners may wish to execute quitclaim deeds to formalize the agreement.

After a loved one dies, you have many details to take care of. You may find these welcome distractions as you deal with your grief and loss. Sooner or later, however, you will have to deal with your loved one's estate, and that often means going through the probate process.

Probate is the legal process for paying off your loved one's creditors and distributing any assets in the estate. If your loved one created a careful estate plan, probate may not be necessary. However, very few people take this step. Your loved one may not even have a will. Even if there is a will, you may quickly realize that certain factors can make an already long process even more complicated.

A personal injury accident can leave a New Jersey resident with emotional, physical, and financial pain. While the extent to which victims of these incidents suffer losses may vary, individuals who suffer hardships as a result of other people's negligent, reckless, or intentional action can often sue for compensation. Compensation sought from a civil lawsuit is often referred to as damages, and fully pleading one's damages in such a claim is an important part to being made whole after tragedy.

Damages can be financial, such as those related to the medical care a victim must seek when they are hurt in a car accident, slip and fall event, or dog attack. They can also come from a victim's lost wages and property losses that result from the involvement in such incidents. The money that victims must put into their own recoveries can often be included in their personal injury claims.

An older sibling may call their younger sibling a nuisance when the latter messes with the former's possessions or otherwise terrorizes them with their pestering and chides. In effect, the sibling accused of being a nuisance has disrupted the enjoyment of the other's day and has caused them to suffer emotional distress. This simple example closely follows what it means for a nuisance to exist in the realm of land use law and will be further developed throughout this post.

Nuisances in the world of land use range in severity and scope. A private nuisance is one that exists between neighbors. If, for example, a person chooses to play loud music each night that disrupts their neighbor's sleep, the affected neighbor may claim that the other's actions are a nuisance. Since the noise generated by the acting neighbor does not touch the affected party's land, it is not a trespass.