Whenever any controversy or dispute shall arise about the rights of the respective occupants or owners in division lines or partition fences and their obligations to maintain the same, either party may apply to a fence viewer of the town where the lands lie, who, after ten-days' notice to each party, to be given as provided in § 34-10-15, may in writing determine the division line and assign to each his or her part of the partition fence, and direct the time within which each party shall erect, build, or repair his or her part of the fence, which line and assignment being recorded in the office of the town clerk, shall be binding on the parties and all succeeding owners and occupants of the lands, and they shall always thereafter maintain their respective parts of the fence, until the rights of the respective parties shall be differently determined in some proper action.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-10-17