Definition of "Abutting"

Joshua L. Cole real estate agent

Written by

Joshua L. Coleelite badge icon

Venture Realty Group

The term abutting comes from the verb “to abut” and the definition of abutting denotes more proximity than “adjacent”. Abutting is often used in real estate to discuss properties that don’t have between them any land or specific border to work as a limit. These properties are referred to as abutting properties. The term abutting is not only used when referring to two homes that share a boundary, but people can also use it in case of a home abutting a highway or industrial parks that are abutting a market. The meaning of abutting implies a shared boundary between a fence, a wall of a building, an outer wall of a home, or even a line drawn on the grass.

What is an abutting property?

An abutting building can be a home, townhouse, a high-rise condominium or an apartment complex. In architecture, the term abutting building refers to buildings with exterior walls that touch or are almost touching. They are regarded as abutting properties by building codes, and even when they have a seismic separation they are still regarded as abutting properties.

People make another comparison with the term “neighbor”. Still, while a neighbor can be the person living next door to you or the one from across the street, an abutter (the owner of the abutting property) can only be the one next door to you, but only if you share a common border between the two properties. 


One of the requirements of abutting properties is that the expenses of specific projects to be split between the two. The neighbor from across the street, if the road is private or public domain, is not an abutter, but if the street is split between the two property owners, then the owners will  split the costs of repairs. This right as well as other rights, regulations and guidelines are drafted in the Abutter’s rights and the owners of the abutting properties need to respect them.

Real Estate Tip:

Start abutting yourself to people who’ll get you where you want to be: a real estate deal! Find a local real estate agent now!

 

image of a real estate dictionary page

Have a question or comment?

We're here to help.

*** Your email address will remain confidential.
 

 

Popular Real Estate Terms

Determination made concerning the motivation of a testator in making devises of the will. A will can be contested if it can be proved the testator did not have rational motives when ...

Where property is sold to the highest bidder. ...

When someone throws around the term “mobile home”, it almost requires further explanation to fully understand what that person is talking about. Why is that? Well, one mobile ...

The definition for the gross living area published by the Appraisal Institute’s Dictionary of Real Estate 4th Edition is: “The total area of finished, above-grade residential ...

Reformation in real estate means a legal action to straighten out an erroneous deed, a misleading document, an error, a paragraph, or a contract entirely which resulted from an ...

Taxpayer can deduct losses only to the degree of risk. Amounts are restricted to the cash investment and the debt from which the taxpayer is personally liable. ...

Aluminum or metal treated barrier that is placed between the concrete and wood of the foundation of a newly constructed building to prevent termites from infesting the wood. Many experts ...

Older property is bought usually by a governmental agency to be modernized and improved. In many cases, the deteriorating property is torn down and a new structure built. An example is ...

A fixed asset whose utility is derived from its physical attachment to a property and which usually cannot value or damage. A fixture, under the terms of a lease or other agreement, can be ...

Popular Real Estate Questions