Source: http://uniweb.legislature.ne.gov/laws/laws-index/chap34-full.html
Timestamp: 2013-05-25 19:28:17
Document Index: 692048798

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 10', '§ 5', '§ 6', '§ 7', '§ 6', '§ 1', '§ 2492', '§ 18', '§ 2431', '§ 34', '§ 34', '§ 1', '§ 3', 'art, 224']

Legislative findings.The Legislature
finds the duty of adjoining landowners for the construction and maintenance
of division fences to be beneficial to the public interest and welfare. Such
benefits are not confined to historical and traditional societal benefits
that accrue from the proper constraint of livestock, but also include suppression
of civil disputes and public and private nuisances and the protection of public
safety. Division fences promote the peace and security of society by the demarcation
of rural boundaries, physical separation of conflicting land uses, enhancement
of privacy, diminishment of frequency of public burden imposed by incidences
of trespass and adverse possession, and the mitigation of impacts of conflicting
land use intrusion into those areas of the state devoted to agricultural and
horticultural use.
Division fence;
adjoining landowners; construct
and maintain just proportion of fence.(1)
When there are two or more adjoining landowners, each of them shall construct
and maintain a just proportion of the division fence between them. Just proportion means an equitable allocation
of the portion of the fenceline to be physically constructed and maintained
by each landowner or, in lieu thereof, an equitable contribution to the costs
to construct and maintain the division fence to be made by either landowner.
Unless otherwise specified in statute or by agreement of the parties, such
equitable allocation shall be one which results in an equal burden of construction
and maintenance of the division fence. This section shall not be construed
to compel the erection and maintenance of a division fence if neither of the
adjoining landowners desires such division fence.
(2) Unless the adjoining landowners have agreed otherwise,
such fence shall be a wire fence as defined in subdivision (5) of section 34-115.
34-103.
Maintenance; private nuisance.Every person
liable to contribute to the construction and maintenance of a division fence
or any portion thereof shall maintain his or her portion in good repair, including
the necessary removal or trimming of trees and woody growth within or encroaching
upon the fenceline to repair or avoid damage to, or dislocation of, the division
fence. The occurrence of trees and woody growth within or encroaching upon
a division fence that causes damage to, or dislocation of, the fence shall
constitute a private nuisance to the adjacent landowner's possessory interests
in his or her land.
34-104.
Repealed. Laws 2007, LB 108, § 10.
34-106.
34-107.
34-108.
34-109.
34-110.
34-112.
Division fence; injury or destruction; repair.Whenever a division fence is injured or destroyed by fire, floods, or other casualty, the person bound to construct and maintain such fence, or any part thereof, shall make repairs to the same, or his or her just proportion thereof, as provided in section 34-102.
34-112.01.
Division fence; entry upon land authorized.An owner of land may enter upon adjacent land owned by another person to construct, maintain, or repair a division fence pursuant to sections 34-102 and 34-112, but such access shall be allowed only to the extent reasonably necessary to construct, maintain, or repair the division fence. This section does not authorize any alterations to adjacent land owned by another person, including the removal of trees, buildings, or other obstacles, without the consent of the adjacent landowner or a court order or the removal of any items of personal property lying thereon without the consent of the adjacent landowner or a court order.
Source:Laws 2007, LB108, § 5. 34-112.02.
Division fence; construction, maintenance, or repair; notice; court action authorized; hearing; mediation; costs.(1) Whenever a landowner desires to construct a division fence or perform maintenance or repairs to an existing division fence, such landowner shall give written notice of such intention to any person who is liable for the construction, maintenance, or repair of the division fence. Such notice may be served upon any nonresident by delivering the written notice to the occupant of the land or the landowner's agent in charge of the land. The written notice shall request that the person liable for the construction, maintenance, or repair satisfy his or her obligation by performance or by other manner of contribution. After giving written notice, a landowner may commence or complete construction of a division fence, or commence or complete maintenance or repair upon an existing division fence, in which cases any cause of action under this section and sections 34-102, 34-112, and 34-112.01 shall be an action for contribution.
Source:Laws 2007, LB108, § 6. 34-112.03.
Source:Laws 2007, LB108, § 7. 34-113.
34-114.
Repealed. Laws 1994, LB 882, § 6.
34-115.
Lawful fences, defined.Lawful fences of different kinds used for fence to enclose lands shall be as hereinafter defined. (1) A rail fence shall consist of at least six rails, such rails to be secured by stakes at the end of each panel, well set in the ground, with a rider on the stakes. (2) A board fence shall consist of not less than three boards of at least five inches in width and one inch thick; such boards to be well secured to posts; the posts to be not more than eight feet apart. (3) A rail and post fence shall consist of at least three rails, well secured at each end to posts; the posts not to be more than ten feet apart. (4) A pole and post fence shall consist of not less than four poles, to be well secured to posts; the posts not to be more than seven feet apart. (5) A wire fence shall consist of at least four wires, of a size not less than number nine fencing wire, to be well secured to posts, the posts to be at no greater distance than one rod from each other; and there shall be placed between every two of the posts one stake or post to which the wire shall be attached. Any of such wires may be a barbed wire composed of two or more single wire strands twisted into a cable wire with metal barbs thereon averaging not more than five inches apart, each of such single wire strands to be of a size not less than number twelve and one-half gauge fencing wire. (6) A hog and sheep tight fence shall consist of one barb wire at the ground, next above, one section of woven wire twenty-six inches high, consisting of not less than seven strands, the upper and lower strands to be number nine wire, intermediate strands to be number eleven wire with stays not more than twelve inches apart, and at the top, three barb wires at intervals of six, nine, and nine inches; and the whole shall be securely fastened to posts at no greater distance than one rod from each other, and there shall be placed between every two of the posts one stake or post to which the wire shall be attached. (7) All other fences made and constructed of boards, rails, poles, stones, hedge plants, or other material which upon evidence is declared to be as strong and well calculated to protect enclosures and is as effective for resisting breaching stock shall be considered a lawful fence.
Source:Laws 1867 (Ter.), § 1, p. 17; R.S.1913, § 2492; Laws 1915, c. 43, § 18, p. 120; C.S.1922, § 2431; C.S.1929, § 34-115; R.S.1943, § 34-115; Laws 1947, c. 127, § 1, p. 366; Laws 1999, LB 776, § 3. Annotations
34-116.
Lawful fences; height and spaces.The fences described in section 34-115 shall be at least four and one-half feet in height; and in the construction of such fences the spaces between the boards, rails, poles, and wires shall not exceed one foot each, measuring from the top.
34-117.
Lawful fences; Warner's Patent; requirements.Fence known as Warner's Patent shall be at least four and one-half feet in height, and consist of not less than five boards; such boards to be of a width of not less than five inches, and one inch thick.
34-201.
Preservation during construction and other work.It shall be the duty of every individual or corporation engaged either directly or indirectly in the construction of any irrigation ditch, drainage ditch, railroad, side track or spur track, or any other construction, or in any other activity whatsoever, that endangers or may endanger or may cause the loss or destruction of any landmark or corner of land surveys or boundaries, to employ the county surveyor of the county wherein they are situated to properly perpetuate or witness said landmarks and corners according to law.
34-202.
Failure to protect; liability for damages.Any individual or corporation who shall fail to protect such landmarks or corners shall be responsible for all damage that may accrue to the party injured by reason of such loss or destruction.
Disputed corners
and boundaries; court action to settle; procedure.When
one or more owners of land, the corners and boundaries of which are lost,
destroyed, or in
dispute, desire to have the same established, they may bring an action in
the district court of the county where such lost, destroyed, or disputed corners or boundaries, or part
thereof, are situated, against the owners of the other tracts which will be
affected by the determination or establishment thereof, to have such corners
or boundaries ascertained and permanently established. If any public road
is likely to be affected thereby, the proper county shall be made defendant.
Notice of such action shall be given as in other cases, and if the defendants
or any of them are nonresidents of the state, or unknown, they may be served
by publication as is provided by law. The action shall be a special one, and
the only necessary pleading therein shall be the complaint of the plaintiff describing the
land involved, and, so far as may be, the interest of the respective parties
and asking that certain corners and boundaries therein described, as accurately
as may be, shall be established. Either the plaintiff or defendant may, by
proper plea, put in issue the fact that certain alleged boundaries or corners
are the true ones, or that such have been recognized and acquiesced in by
the parties or their grantors for a period of ten consecutive years, which
issue shall be tried before the district court under its equity jurisdiction
without the intervention of a jury, and appeals from such proceedings shall
be had and taken in conformity with the equity rules.
1. Adverse possession2. Equity action3. Recognition and acquiescence4. Miscellaneous1. Adverse possessionWhere an exact metes and bounds description is impossible to ascertain from the record, the failure to adequately describe the proposed boundary is fatal to a claim of adverse possession. Matzke v. Hackbart, 224 Neb. 535, 399 N.W.2d 786 (1987).
Adverse possession is recognized as a defense in a proceeding under this section. Petsch v. Widger, 214 Neb. 390, 335 N.W.2d 254 (1983).
Adverse possession is recognized as a defense in a proceeding under this section. Converse v. Kenyon, 178 Neb. 151, 132 N.W.2d 334 (1965).
2. Equity actionThis statute provides that whenever one or more owners of land, the corners and boundaries of which are lost, destroyed, or in dispute, desire to have the same established, they may bring an action in the district court to have them ascertained and permanently established. The case is tried as an equity case and is reviewable in the Supreme Court de novo on the record. State v. Jarchow, 219 Neb. 88, 362 N.W.2d 19 (1985).
3. Recognition and acquiescenceEven though the neighboring landowners recognized their boundary line by markers which were an approximation of the real boundary, a boundary by mutual recognition and acquiescence may be established if the approximation was recognized by the acquiescing parties as their actual boundary and the location of this boundary can be proved by the parties. Sila v. Saunders, 274 Neb. 809, 743 N.W.2d 641 (2008).
4. MiscellaneousBoundary disputes cannot be determined in a quiet title action. Rather, boundary disputes are properly brought as an action in ejectment or pursuant to this section. Rush Creek Land & Live Stock Co. v. Chain, 255 Neb. 347, 586 N.W.2d 284 (1998).