Charlotte Tyson thought she was doing the normal, stressful-but-manageable thing: selling the home she’s lived in for decades so she can move someplace easier on her health. Then the buyer did what buyers are supposed to do—ordered a survey—and her quiet block in Cary turned into a property-line nightmare.
In the original post, WRAL’s Monica Laliberte lays out the problem in a way every homeowner recognizes instantly: the neighbor’s concrete driveway, fence, and landscaping don’t just sit near the line. The survey shows they reach about five feet onto Tyson’s land. And once that’s on paper, it’s not a “neighborly” issue anymore—it’s a sale-stopper.
The sale was moving forward… until the survey did its job
Tyson had a buyer lined up after living in the house for 37 years. She wasn’t selling for fun—she said she has health issues and needs a place that’s easier to get around in.
But the buyer’s survey flagged an encroachment. Suddenly, this wasn’t about fresh paint and curb appeal. It was about who owns the ground under the driveway and whether the buyer would be inheriting a legal fight on day one…