Looking around the neighbourhood, I see that encroachment of varying degrees is not unusual. Will an 'informal' chat with staff obligate them to order my fence moved or do they generally act on the basis of complaints? I'd hate to be told 'no' to the severance and thanks for letting us know...

We are similarly looking to sever our 40' x 124' corner lot with a curving chunk out of one corner. The severed parcel would be 63'x40' minus whatever is required between parcels. We currently have a fence that encroaches on city property by about 6'. It is behind a long-existing hedge and is...