Can my neighbor steal my water meter because it's on his land?

My now neighbor bought some land right next to me 8 months ago & is trying to take me to court for the rights to my water meter that is located on his property right beside the highway. He is under the impression that anything on his property is his and he wants my water meter since he doesn't have one. When I bought my house 4 years ago ( a house that's been standing for 50 or 60 years) it said that I have water with garland county. If he takes me to court can he win? The cost to put in a new water line is $4,000 and we don't have and don't want to spend that money since we bought our house with water.

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I do not about were you live, but here the meter belongs to the water company, not the person.
Maybe you should look into that. He could just be an idiot.

If it on his land he owns it

The water meter is owned by the water utility. Your neighbor probably hired a private survey company to support his claim. You can hire your own private survey company to dispute his private survey company. Something to think about is water line that has to connect through the water meter. If the water meter has been there a long time you may be protected by the "grandfather clause" or if proved that it is on his property then the water utility has to move it to your property unless your neighbor signs an easement.

I don't believe you. The water meter belongs to the municipality.

You will most certainly lose the case and probably have to pay his attorney 's fees and court costs. He can lien your house if you do not pay and foreclose on it too. It is NOT your water meter. It is his because it is on his property. If you were mislead when you purchased your property into believing it was yours, you were lied to or misunderstood. You should have hired an attorney to handle the transaction. That is why people have real estate lawyers, because real estate lawyers do due diligence. You would have been told that the property has no water and is illegally hooking into the neighbor 's water meter. You claim "… It said that I have water with garland county…". What is it? Houses do not talk. Was it the prior owners? They lied to you. Perhaps, you can sue them for misrepresentation on their disclosure. You will have to see a lawyer about that. However, what is on the neighbor 's land belongs to the neighbor.

You'll want to go back to your closing documents from when you bought the house and see if there's any mention of an easement or rights to the water meter that's on his land. Second, call up the water company (who actually owns the meter) and find out what's involved in moving the meter and if you would really have to pay for a whole new meter.

These are the critical things that you need to know about before going any further on this.

He can make you move it.