ANNE ARUNDEL, CALVERT, CHARLES, ST. MARY’S & PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTIES.
Real Estate & Property Disputes | Haskell & Dyer
A Property Ruling Binds Whoever Owns the Land Next.
Boundary lines, easements, title problems, and sales that fall apart. Property disputes get personal fast. We bring the documents and the law to bear so the matter is settled for good.
These Rulings Outlast You
A property decision binds the next owner too.
A boundary, an easement, or a title ruling does not just settle today's argument. It runs with the land and binds whoever owns it next. That is why a clean, recorded resolution matters so much, and why a rushed handshake deal so often comes back years later. We settle it in a way that holds.
What Is at Issue
When Land and Records Collide
Property disputes turn on documents: deeds, surveys, plats, and the chain of title. We make those documents work for you.
The Conflict
Lines, Access, and Title
Where exactly is the boundary? Who has the right to cross? Is the title clear, or is there an old claim clouding it? These questions sit quiet for years, then surface when you build, sell, or refinance. We answer them with the survey, the records, and the law.
The Resolution
Settled, and Recorded
A property dispute is not really over until the result is documented and, where needed, recorded against the land. We do not just win the argument. We make sure the outcome is written down so it protects you and every owner who follows.
By the Numbers
Where Property Disputes Stand
Real property is one of the three pillars of civil litigation, and Maryland law sets hard rules that decide these cases.
1 of 3
main civil case categories the DOJ tracks is real property
U.S. DOJ, BJS
20 years
the period that can establish adverse possession in Maryland
Maryland law
~97%
of civil cases resolve without a trial
U.S. DOJ, BJS
What We Handle
The Property Disputes We Take
If the conflict is over land, access, or title, we can likely help.
Boundary lines
Easements and access
Title disputes
Adverse possession
Failed real estate sales
Quiet title actions
We litigate real estate and property disputes across Calvert, St. Mary's, Prince George's, Charles, and Anne Arundel counties.
Attorney Insight
Property fights are rarely about the inches. They are about who controls the land and who has to live with the answer. A clear ruling or recorded agreement settles it for every owner who comes after you, not just for today.
Matthew J. Dyer, Esq.
The Law Offices of Haskell & Dyer
A Closer Look
Why Documents Win Property Cases
Property disputes feel emotional, but they are decided on paper. The deed, the recorded plat, the survey, the easement language, the chain of title. The side that assembles those documents and reads them correctly usually controls the outcome. We start every property matter by pulling the records and building the timeline, because that is what a judge will look at.
Maryland law adds hard lines that can decide a case before the facts are even argued. Adverse possession, for example, can let someone claim land they have openly used for a long enough period, generally 20 years in Maryland. Deadlines, recording rules, and the language of an old easement can each turn a dispute. Knowing these rules early is the difference between a strong position and a nasty surprise.
Like most civil matters, property disputes usually settle. Only about 3% of civil cases reach a trial. But property is one place where a clean, recorded resolution matters more than the settlement itself, because the result binds future owners. We push for an outcome that is not just agreed, but documented in a way that holds up when you sell, build, or pass the property on. We settle it once, for good.
Why It Matters
What a Property Dispute Puts at Risk
Land is usually the largest asset a person or business owns. A cloud over it touches everything.
Your Land
The boundary and what you control
Your Access
Easements and rights of way
Your Title
A clear, marketable record
Your Sale
The deal that cannot close under a cloud
How We Handle a Property Dispute
We let the records lead, settle where we can, and make sure the result is documented to last.
We Pull the Records
We gather the deed, survey, plat, and chain of title, and read the documents that will decide the case.
We Map the Rights
We establish exactly where the line, the easement, or the claim stands under the records and the law.
We Resolve It
We push for a settlement or ruling that fixes the issue, not a vague truce that resurfaces in a few years.
We Record the Result
Where needed, we make sure the outcome is documented and recorded so it protects you and future owners.
Common Questions
Real Estate & Property Disputes, Answered
My neighbor and I disagree about the boundary. What decides it?
The records and the survey, more than anyone's memory. The deed, the recorded plat, and a current survey usually settle where the line actually sits. Where use over time is involved, Maryland's adverse possession rules can matter too. We pull the documents, get the line established, and pursue a result that is recorded so the question does not come back.
What is adverse possession, and should I worry about it?
Adverse possession lets someone claim land they have openly and continuously used for a long enough period, generally 20 years in Maryland, under specific conditions. It is how a fence, driveway, or use that crosses the line can ripen into a legal claim. If you think a neighbor is encroaching, or you are accused of it, the time to act is before that period runs, not after.
Can a title problem really stop my sale?
Yes. An old lien, an unresolved claim, or a gap in the chain of title can cloud a property and stall or kill a sale or refinance. A quiet title action and the right records can clear it. The sooner you address a title cloud, the less likely it is to surface at the worst possible moment, days before closing.
Do property disputes go to trial?
Rarely. Like most civil cases, the large majority settle, and only about 3% reach a trial. But property is one area where the form of the resolution matters as much as the result, because the outcome binds future owners. We push for a clean, recorded resolution that holds up over time.
What should I bring to the first meeting?
Whatever you have: the deed, any survey or plat, the title report, photos, and any correspondence about the dispute. Do not worry about gaps. We can pull many records ourselves. The more we can see early, the sharper our read on where you stand and what it will take.
Let's Settle Your Property Dispute for Good.
A property fight settled the wrong way comes back years later. Bring us the deed and the survey, and we will pull the records, map your rights, and pursue a resolution that holds. The first conversation is free.
Available 24/7 for urgent matters: 240-687-0179