Michigan brother ploughs landscaped strip beside sibling's home, triggering bitter land dispute

In 2022, a Michigan man ploughed a landscaped strip of land beside his brother's home, triggering a dispute over who had the right to use it. Frederick G. Bender and his wife, Susan, said their family had maintained the 0.13-acre area for years, although it was part of his brother David A.

Bender's property. They sued David and his wife, Jean, seeking compensation and recognition of their claim over the land. Four years later, an appeals court revived their boundary claim after a lower court rejected it, while awarding them $5,364.44 for the damage caused.According to court records, Frederick and Susan had maintained the disputed strip for several years.

The practice reportedly went back to a time when one of Frederick's parents owned their property. They argued that David and Jean had accepted this arrangement over the years and that the boundary should be recognised in their favour.The disputed area measured 0.13 acres and lay along the northern and eastern edges of Frederick and Susan's property. Both boundaries were surrounded by land belonging to David and Jean.