The Fence On The Line
MCL 43.53 — the owner who builds the fence pays for it, until a neighbor uses it for animals
In Michigan, the owner of real property who builds a fence pays for its construction and maintenance.
When the neighbor uses it. If an adjoining owner or tenant uses or begins to use the fence to restrain or contain animals, that owner or tenant compensates the owner who built it for a proportionate share of its current value, based on that use, or may build a fence of their own.
Fence viewers. A fence viewer, if engaged, decides whether a neighbor is using the fence and what percentage of the cost that neighbor is responsible for, and gives the owners written notice of the decision not more than 7 days after making it. A fence viewer does not settle boundary disputes.
Where the line actually runs is a boundary question this page does not answer. Whether a particular fence must be shared, and what either neighbor can recover, are questions for a licensed Michigan attorney.
Sources for this section (2)
- MCL 43.53 — Payment for construction and maintenance of fence; compensation for use by adjoining owner
- MCL 43.55 — Fence viewer; duties; notice of decision; boundary disputes
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Michigan attorney.