It’s the process of reconstructing a property’s original, legally recorded boundary using historical surveys, deeds, and physical monuments still in the ground, because modern disputes are almost always disagreements about how to interpret decades-old records, not about the land itself.

More often than most people expect. An undocumented right-of-way or misunderstood usage right can sit dormant for years and then surface as the deciding factor in a claim, which is why boundary and easement review early in a case tends to prevent a much costlier surprise later.

However far the paper trail goes. Some boundary questions resolve with a single deed; others require tracing subdivision history back decades; the research goes exactly as deep as the dispute requires, no further.

This is more common than most owners expect, especially on older Long Island and NYC parcels, and resolving it means going back to the original recorded plat and physical monumentation rather than simply picking the newer of the two conflicting documents.

Yes. In fact, that’s often the ideal time. A clear boundary and easement finding produced before litigation begins frequently changes the negotiating position enough to resolve the matter without ever needing a courtroom.