Property lines under scrutiny

Calabasas officials want residents to survey the possible pitfalls of making unresearched major home improvements.

After finding that pools sometimes needed to be dug up and tennis courts ripped out because of property line judgment errors, the city is urging residents to confirm their exact property boundaries before beginning a project.

Residents embarking on projects that will involve an addition to a home, a new structure, an outdoor fireplace, a gazebo or patio cover, a deck or swimming pool should research their property lines, said Maureen Tamuri, Calabasas' community development director.

"It's a huge issue," said Tamuri. "It's usually no harm, no foul in tracked out area, but where we've been having problems is in communities where the yard backs up into open space. Over time, people have moved their fences back, usually to enjoy the view, but they are moving them into dedicated open space."

Many residents assume that fences or walls coincide with property lines when that's often not the case, Tamuri said.

Recently the city discovered that a property line ran down the middle of a pool that an Oaks resident had recently built. A full-size tennis court is also going to have to ripped out after staff discovered it extended beyond the owner's property line.

"They are privatizing what is in essence open space, and our responsibility is to protect that space," Tamuri said. "People think that, maybe, because there's a drainage line on the hill then it's not open space. But our code doesn't say whether it's pretty open space or scenic open space.

"Whatever it is, we have a code that protects it, and the city is very firm on that protection," she said. "The city recommends a certified and registered civil engineer or land surveyor be called to confirm lines, as opposed to a builder using GPS units, as builders often aren't trained in surveying techniques.

A basic survey will establish the proper documentation, including a drawn-to-scale plan. A more expensive staked survey will be more detailed.

"If you're going to take on a $30,000, $40,000, $100,000 project, the cost of a $1,500 survey is nothing, especially compared to what it will cost to rip it out," Tamuri said. "Don't assume. Before you build, before you make an improvement, make a very simple investment."

The city website, www. cityofcalabasas.com, provides links to a site where residents can type in their address and the property's boundaries will appear.

- By Joann Groff