encroaches

Encroaches is the present tense form of the verb encroach and is used to describe the act of advancing gradually beyond proper or established boundaries, or intruding on someone else’s space, rights, or jurisdiction. In property law, an encroachment occurs when a structure, tree, or other feature crosses a boundary line onto a neighbor's land, or when activities extend beyond permitted limits. Encroachments may be caused by surveying errors, boundary disputes, natural shifts in land, or deliberate expansion.

Common examples include a building, driveway, or fence that crosses a property line, or tree roots and branches that overhang onto adjacent land. The consequences can include nuisance claims, easements by implication, or the need for boundary adjustment. Remedies typically involve negotiation to remove or relocate the encroachment, or legal action to obtain an injunction, damages, or a formal boundary adjustment. In some jurisdictions, long-standing, open use of land can raise issues under adverse possession or prescriptive easements if the use has been continuous and adverse.

Encroachment also has ecological and urban planning dimensions, where development gradually intrudes on habitats or protected areas, or where infrastructure encroaches on wetlands, floodplains, or setback areas. Effective planning, clear surveys, and enforceable zoning rules aim to prevent encroachment and to manage conflicts when it occurs.

Encroaches differs from trespass in that encroachment involves intrusion extending beyond a boundary line; trespass concerns unauthorized access over land regardless of boundary crossing. Encroachment is a general term used across law, land use, and environmental contexts.