My question involves real estate located in the State of: Idaho.
I received a letter today stating the some property contiguous to mine has now become my county's property, and since it is contiguous, they are giving me a fair chance to purchase the property before the list in on the MLS. Included in with the letter was an aerial photo and a plat map. As I was viewing the plat map I noticed that the house right next to me is on my property according to this plat map. I called my county assessors office and asked if this was a current plat map. They invited me down to compare. After I showed him the house in question, he said, that house is on your property. And then immediately suggested I obtain a survey. I called the surveyor and he said it was going to cost upwards of $2000.00 for the survey. I understand that the plat maps are not as accurate as a survey. However, the house in question is smack dab in the middle of my "property lines" via said plat map.
I am wondering if you can rely on the plat map at all - how accurate are they usually?
One more piece of information - the house in question was recently foreclosed on, and now someone is trying to buy it and/or rent it. The person whom I purchased my property from used to own both houses. He told us he "subdivided" the property when he built the second house, but the assessors office has no record of any such subdivision. My deed states I own three lots - and the house is more in the middle of my three lots than the home I live in is.