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There are two answers in the question about a neighbor having a fence on the person's property that suggest he unilaterally tear the fence down.

This site shouldn't be giving people advice that says destroy something.

Force neighbor to resolve trespass before selling house

Maybe we can have a rule for the future that says do not tell people to destroy things so people don't misinterpret it and get in trouble.

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You can but you shouldn't

If you have editing privileges then its up to you to use them prudently in accordance with the guidelines. The reasons for editing do not include "to fix a wrong answer" in contrast to "To clarify the meaning of the post (without changing that meaning)." While the reasons are not exhaustive the post makes it clear that "changing that meaning" is not one of the things you should do.

If you believe an answer is wrong then vote it down and write your own answer; don't change it.

For this particular question

You're wrong and the answers there are right. You should always be cognizant that your understanding of what is correct may itself be incorrect.

The reason they are right is that neither answer says to destroy it; they say to remove it and return it to the neighbor. It is generally legal to remove trespassing personal property from your real property providing it is done in a way that minimizes damage and does not interfere with the owner's possession, indeed, keeping something you don't own on your property is unlawful.

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  • Look up assumed possession in Mass. if you think their answers are correct. After a period of time, the neighbor has a right to the land. Also, who knows, maybe the neighbor knows the description of the property is wrong. There are tons of things that could make the neighbor correct and then you would go to jail. Plus, the police are not there for your civil dispute.
    – Putvi
    Commented May 10, 2019 at 17:35
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    I’m aware of adverse possession but are you aware that it takes years in most jurisdictions?
    – Dale M Mod
    Commented May 10, 2019 at 20:44
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    Yes, I work part time at the sheriff's dept. I don't mean to say this in a rude way, but I have handled people who have claimed someone was using their land etc. While you are right that it is his land etc, a. the police don't know all of what has gone on the second they arrive. To someone coming when the police are called you are some jackass tearing down a fence.
    – Putvi
    Commented May 11, 2019 at 17:58
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    @Putvi I appreciate that it can be difficult for law enforcement to understand and appreciate the factual and legal circumstances particularly where these are contested - no one doubts the LEO have a difficult job. However, when an OP posts a question stating "these are the facts" then I for one answer the question assuming that the facts are not in dispute i.e. these are the facts. Questions asking about evidencing and proving facts I approach differently.
    – Dale M Mod
    Commented May 13, 2019 at 2:57
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    Comments are not for extended discussion; this conversation has been moved to chat.
    – feetwet Mod
    Commented May 13, 2019 at 22:12

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