Can two neighbours legally adjust a small boundary discrepancy between their properties without a court process?

Yes, in many cases neighbours can agree privately to adjust a small, non-contentious boundary discrepancy without going through a full court process, but agreeing and making it legally binding on future owners are two different things. A private handshake understanding between the current owners is a start, but to actually bind whoever buys either property down the road, the correction typically still needs to be properly documented, often supported by a reference plan prepared by an Ontario Land Surveyor, and registered on title.

Skipping registration is where these arrangements tend to fall apart later. An unregistered, informal boundary adjustment might be perfectly fine between the neighbours who agreed to it, but it risks not being enforceable against a future buyer of either property who had no notice the boundary was ever adjusted from what the registered documents show.

For a genuinely minor and uncontested discrepancy, a lawyer can usually arrange a properly registered correction relatively straightforwardly. For a larger, contested, or unclear discrepancy, the more formal Boundaries Act process or a court application may be the more appropriate route instead of a private agreement.