Which item refers to the unauthorized intrusion of a building or improvement onto another's land, detectable by survey?

• A. Technical errors
• B. Hidden defects in public records
• C. Suit quiet title
• D. Encroachments

Answer: (D)

An encroachment is an unauthorized intrusion of a building or improvement onto a neighboring property, and a boundary survey is what reveals it. When part of a structure—like a garage, wall, or driveway—extends beyond your lot line onto someone else’s land, that’s an encroachment. A survey compares the actual physical boundaries to the recorded measurements, so it can detect any part of an improvement that crosses onto another parcel. This concept is different from technical errors or hidden defects in public records, which relate to measurement mistakes or problems found in title documents, and from a suit to quiet title, which is a legal action to establish ownership rather than describe the intrusion itself.