Our Neighbour Keeps Taking Down Our Privacy Screen What Can We Do?

Location: Surrey BC

We moved into this property early last summer. There’s a chain-link fence along the side of our yard, and we recently put up a privacy screen on our side because our yard backs onto an alley and we wanted a bit more privacy.

Our neighbour lost it over the screen and says the fence is his because he paid for it years ago even though the screen is on our side. The weird part is when we looked at the Surrey GIS map the fence is actually sitting inside our property.

He already ripped the screen down once, and he told police that if we put it back up, he’ll keep taking it down. Police came out but basically said that the crown won’t prosecute him for cutting a couple zip-ties even though by cutting those zip-ties it doesn’t allow us to peacefully enjoy our space.

So now we’re going to hire a surveyor to survey the property line. If the survey confirms that the fence is encroaching onto our parcel, what’s the proper way to deal with it? Do I give the neighbour a copy of the survey and written notice to remove the fence? If they don’t remove it, how much notice would be considered reasonable before I hire someone to remove it?

I’m also wondering about costs. I wouldn’t be paying for a survey if the fence hadn’t potentially been installed incorrectly in the first place. Is there any way to recover the survey cost, and potentially the cost of removing the fence if they refuse to do it themselves?

They’ve also been using the strip of land along the fence for plants and landscaping, which would apparently be on our property if the survey confirms what the GIS map shows. Can we require them to restore that area?

And is there any realistic way to recover anything for the period of time they’ve been occupying and using part of our land, for example some prorated amount related to the land or property taxes? or is that not really a thing?

TL;DR: Neighbours removing our privacy screen and says the fence is his. The Surrey GIS map suggests the fence may actually be on our property. Police say they can’t do anything, so we’re getting a survey.