Empowered Land Ownership

1. Is Your Parcel Actually Yours—or Are You Borrowing Public Land Without Permission?

Every land conversation starts with one painfully unsexy question: Where does your land actually end?

Your parcel size is defined in your title or deed, and backed by survey maps and coordinates. Not vibes. Not memory. Not "we've always used this side."

If your fence, shed, driveway, or "temporary" structure creeps beyond that boundary, congratulations—you may be encroaching on public land or a neighbor's property. In legal terms, this translates to: you don't own that, and someone with authority will eventually show up.

2. Wayleaves & Easements: The Part of Your Land You Own—but Don't Control

Ah, yes, the humbling moment every landowner eventually experiences.

A wayleave or easement gives another party the legal right to use part of your land for a specific purpose—think power lines, water pipes, drainage systems, access paths, or utilities.

You still own the land. You just can't:

• Block it
• Build over it
• Pretend it doesn't exist

This is where many people learn that land ownership is less about absolute power and more about conditional leadership. You are the CEO, but the board has opinions.

Ignoring wayleaves is how people wake up to bulldozers and legal notices—neither of which respect denial.

3. Access Roads: Owning Land You Can't Reach Is a Bold Strategy

Access roads are legally defined routes that allow entry to a property. Some are public; others are private but shared through formal rights-of-way.

If your land is landlocked and you don't have a legally recognized access route, you technically own land you can't get to.

That's not illegal. It's just wildly impractical.

A valid right of way ensures:

• Legal access
• Development approval
• Actual usability of the land

Without it, your "investment" is just an abstract concept with great potential and zero functionality.

The Bottom Line

Land rights are not about vibes. They're about:

• Clearly defined boundaries
• Respecting public and private limits
• Understanding shared rights and restrictions
• Ensuring legal access and usability

Encroachment creates problems. Wayleaves limit control. Access roads determine whether land is usable at all.

If you're navigating land ownership, acquisition, or disputes, clarity beats confidence every time.

And if this article helped—great. Suppose it made you nervous—also great. That's usually the moment to involve a surveyor and a lawyer who deal in facts, not folklore.

D. Otunga & Associates focuses on making land ownership make sense—before it becomes expensive, emotional, or both. Because land is an asset, Legal chaos is not.