Close Alert Banner

High Contrast Mode is on

Skip to Content
AccessibilitySubscribe to News and NoticesContact UsMake a Payment

Township of Southgate Logo

Township of Southgate Logo Print
Contact Us Main menu icon
  • Local Government
    • Accessibility
    • Agendas and Minutes
    • Boards, Committees and Appointments
    • By-laws and Policies
    • Clerk’s Department
    • Communities
    • Community Action Plan
    • Community Safety and Well Being Plan
    • Contact Us
    • Council Members
    • COVID-19 Information
    • Legislation Links
    • Mayor’s Message
    • Municipal Elections
    • Open Government
    person reading a book holding a mug
    By-Laws and Policies
  • Municipal Services
    • Building Department
    • By-Law Enforcement and Property Standards
    • Canine Control
    • Cemetery Services
    • Community Services
    • Emergency Services
    • Environmental Services
    • Fence Viewers
    • Finance and Taxes
    • Lottery Licensing
    • Municipal Servicing Standards
    • New Resident
    • News
    • Ontario Wildlife Damage Compensation Program (OWDCP)
    • Planning and Land Use
    • Public Transit Service
    • Southgate Public Library
    • Sunday Hunting
    • Transportation and Public Safety
    • Waste and Recycling
    • Water and Wastewater
  • Economic Development
    • Available Industrial Land
    • Business Resources
    • Commercial Space
    • Community Profile
    • Downtown Revitalization
    • Employment Services
    • Grey County Economic Development
    • Local Area Job Boards
    • Location of Southgate
    • New Business Checklist
    • Petawawa Renewable Natural Gas Project
    • ShapeSouthgate
    • Southgate Business Directory
    • Southgate Community Improvement Plan
    • Videos of Southgate
    • Visiting Southgate
  • Recreation
    • Dundalk Arena
    • Dundalk Pool
    • Electronic Message Request Form
    • Events Calendar
    • Highpoint Campground
    • Horse and Buggy Rides
    • Recreation Master Plan
    • Rental Facilities
  • Current Opportunities
    • Employment Opportunities
    • Grant Opportunities
    • Nominations for Honours and Awards
    • Tenders and RFPS
    • Items Open for Public Comment
View our Facebook Page View our Twitter Page View our YouTube Page View our LinkedIn Page

Southgate fire department vehicles

  • Fence Viewers
  • Building Department
    Toggle Section
    • Building Applications and Forms
    • Building Fees
    • Additional Resources
    • Building Inspections
  • By-Law Enforcement and Property Standards
  • Canine Control
  • Cemetery Services
  • Community Services
  • Emergency Services
    Toggle Section
    • Fire Department
      Toggle Section
      • Burn Permits
      • Fire Prevention and Public Education
      • Fire Safety
      • Emergency Response
    • Community Emergency Management
    • Police Services
  • Environmental Services
    Toggle Section
    • Waste and Recycling
    • Water and Wastewater
  • Finance and Taxes
    Toggle Section
    • Asset Management Plan
    • Budgets
    • Development Charges
    • Financial Information
    • Make a Payment
    • Tax Department
    • Tax Sales
    • Tile Drain Loans
  • Lottery Licensing
  • Municipal Servicing Standards
  • New Resident
  • News
  • Ontario Wildlife Damage Compensation Program (OWDCP)
  • Planning and Land Use
    Toggle Section
    • Committee of Adjustment
    • Development Charges
    • GIS Mapping Systems
    • Grey County Official Plan
    • Planning Applications Public Notices
    • Southgate Official Plan
    • Southgate Zoning By-Law
  • Public Transit Service
  • Southgate Public Library
    Toggle Section
    • About
    • Volunteer
    • Catalogue
    • E-Library
    • Library Services
    • Adults
    • Teens
    • Kids
  • Sunday Hunting
  • Transportation and Public Safety
  • Waste and Recycling
  • Water and Wastewater

Fence Viewers

 
  • Open new window to share this page via Facebook Facebook
  • Open new window to share this page via LinkedIn LinkedIn
  • Open new window to share this page via Twitter Twitter
  • Email this page Email
Show or hide navigation More

When neighbours cannot agree on the construction, reconstruction or maintenance of a fence, the Line Fences Act, being a provincial law, governs the arbitration process if necessary. Three fence viewers will examine the land in question and hear submissions from the adjoining owners and/or their witnesses. For help understanding the Line Fences Act, please see the Guide to the Line Fences Act. All notices under the Act are sent out by the Clerk’s Office.

The Township appoints Fence Viewers for a 4-year term. If you are interested in becoming a fence viewer in the future, please contact clerks@southgate.ca.

Purpose of the Act 
The purpose of the Line Fences Act is to provide a procedure for the resolution of line fence disputes between the owners of adjoining properties. Line fences are fences that mark the boundary between properties and are often referred to as boundary or division fences. The Act does not deal with disputes about fences that are not on a boundary line. 
When is the Act Applicable?

The arbitration procedure is applicable to two situations where the owners are unable to reach agreement:

  • Where no fence currently exists at the boundary between the two properties, and one owner wants a new fence to be constructed to mark the boundary; or
  • Where a line fence already exists, and one owner believes that it needs to be reconstructed or repaired

In such cases, an owner can request that a municipality assign "fence-viewers" to resolve the dispute and issue a decision which is called an "award". The fence-viewers are authorized to only address one or both of the following issues in such situations:

  • The appointment of responsibility for fencing work between the two adjoining owners; or
  • The description of the fence that is to be constructed or reconstructed on the boundary line, including the materials to be used
When is the Act not Applicable? 
The arbitration procedure is not applicable if one owner, on his or her own initiative, has constructed a new line fence or has reconstructed or repaired an entire existing line fence, and then wants to use the arbitration procedure to force the adjoining owner to pay part of the cost of the completed work. It is also important to note that the arbitration procedure deals only with disputes about fences and does not provide means of determining the location of the boundary line between adjoining properties. Such disputes must be resolved by the owners themselves as municipalities and their fence-viewers have no jurisdiction to deal with boundary issues. As many municipal staff members and fence-viewers are aware, property owners involved in a boundary dispute often approach the municipality in the hope that the matter can be resolved without the need for them to obtain legal advice and a survey. 
Informal Resolution of Disputes 
Although many property owners approach their local municipality about line fence matters, they are usually able to reach agreement with their neighbour without the need for a formal viewing. An informal discussion between a municipal staff member or the adjoining owners can often help to resolve a dispute, especially where the owners are not on good terms. In addition, owners normally become more willing to resolve their dispute themselves once they are made aware that they will be required to pay for a viewing and its related costs. 

Contact Us

Subscribe to this Page

Township of Southgate logo

A to Z ServicesAccessibilityBy-laws and PoliciesContact UsFreedom of InformationSitemapStaff LoginWebsite Feedback

© 2019 Township of Southgate

Designed by eSolutionsGroup
Close Old Browser Notification
Browser Compatibility Notification
It appears you are trying to access this site using an outdated browser. As a result, parts of the site may not function properly for you. We recommend updating your browser to its most recent version at your earliest convenience.