{"id":373409,"date":"2017-12-04T11:49:48","date_gmt":"2017-12-04T16:49:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/state\/iowa-law\/property-line-and-fence-laws-in-iowa.html"},"modified":"2018-03-14T18:26:09","modified_gmt":"2018-03-14T23:26:09","slug":"property-line-and-fence-laws-in-iowa","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/state\/iowa-law\/property-line-and-fence-laws-in-iowa.html","title":{"rendered":"Property Line and Fence Laws in Iowa"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Property Line and Fence Laws in Iowa<\/h1>\n
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Created by FindLaw’s team<\/a> of legal writers and editors<\/i><\/p>\n\n | Last updated\n

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Property owners know that life tends to go more smoothly if you get along with your next-door neighbors, especially if you share a fence or there are trees growing near the property line. Unfortunately, disputes between adjoining landowners are common enough that most states have passed laws governing these issues. Read on to learn more about fence laws in Iowa.<\/p>\n

Iowa Property Line and Fence Laws<\/h2>\n

Like many other states, Iowa has passed statutes<\/a> governing fences running along property lines. Iowa law is so specific on this issue, it even addresses fences made out of hedge, including how many times per year a boundary hedge fence must be trimmed back and how high the hedge can be. Iowa has also implemented a system for addressing boundary fence disputes through a tribunal of fence "viewers."<\/p>\n

Some states also choose to regulate "spite fences," which are built for no legitimate purpose other than to annoy or harass a neighbor. While Iowa doesn’t have laws specifically addressing spite fences, a spite fence could be found to be a "nuisance<\/a>" under Iowa law and thus prohibited if it interferes with a property owner’s ability to quietly enjoy their own property.<\/p>\n

Tree Trimming Approaches<\/h2>\n

It’s not unusual for neighbors to disagree about branches from a tree on one neighbor’s land that reach into the airspace of the adjoining landowner’s property. Some states have implemented statutes through the legislative process to address encroaching tree branches. Other states have developed applicable law through the courts. Over the years, U.S. Courts have developed four different approaches for dealing with tree trimming issues:<\/p>\n