Typically, utilities and cable companies may have an easement so that they can repair pipes, wires, etc. on your property. But does the next-door neighbor have the right to walk through your backyard in order to take out his trash?
Why does the lender require a survey? Up until the mid-1980s, mortgage lenders did not ask for a survey. But since title insurance companies will issue an exception to clean title unless there is a survey, I haven’t seen any lender in recent years not asking for one.
If you are buying a condominium unit, you do not need a survey; but you should obtain the plats and plans of the association, which, in effect, are the equivalent of a survey.
I firmly believe that even if your lender does not require a survey, every homeowner should make sure to get one and review it before you take title. From my experience, the great majority of surveys are clean; however, in one case, my client’s survey showed that half of what she thought was her backyard belonged to the next-door neighbor.