Angus Council is investigating whether a Monifieth homeowner may have blocked off a public right of way.
A large fence was erected at the end of a route adjacent to 114 Ferry Road in the summer.
It suddenly left locals, who previously used it to access a public park, scratching their heads.
The local authority says it has been “seeking removal” of the obstruction to public access but the matter is still unresolved.
Now it has distributed questionnaires to locals in an attempt to establish whether it may in fact be a public right of way.
One local resident urged the authorities to establish the facts and return the route to public use if possible.
The man, who asked not to be named, said: “I first noticed this earlier in the year but, because of lockdown, I’m not sure when it was first blocked.
“It’s a route we’ve used for years. We mainly used it to walk our dog and visit the former Co-op shop just off Ferry Road.
“There is another route quite close by but it has an awkward bridge to cross so is no use for people with prams.”
Certain criteria must be met for a public right of way to be established.
One of these is that the route must run from one public place to another.
The resident, who has stayed in Monifieth for around 20 years, said he hopes the matter can be resolved one way or the other.
“Apparently, there’s a suggestion that the land belongs to the neighbouring house. If so, then it’s probably fair enough if they want to stop people using it,” he added.
“But it always appeared to be an official public access route, and I think it’s how the council used to get in to cut the grass.
“It was certainly well used in all the time that I’ve lived in the area.”
Angus Council says it has received “a number of enquiries” in recent months regarding obstructions to public access.
A spokesperson said: “As part of our ongoing investigation and consideration of the matter we have issued questionnaires to gather further information on public use, and on claims that there may be a public right of way.
“We are asking for questionnaires to be returned by 31 January 2021.”
The homeowners were approached for comment but they declined.