[Gay State Conservative]

Years ago when we were trying to buy a house our lawyer told us that there was a problem with plot boundaries and he mentioned the legal concept of “adverse possession”. I did some research and was stunned to learn what I did. One can lose legal ownership of a piece of property in the way described here...but it's a complicated process.

[HypatiaTaught]

“adverse possession”
________________________
in other words, stealing...

[KevinB]

One can lose legal ownership of a piece of property in the way described here...but it's a complicated process.

In order to obtain title by adverse possession, they would have to live there 20 years under claim of right without the actual owner disputing their right to live there. Quite unlikely.

[Susquehanna Patriot]

As you probably learned about adverse possession, this case has those elements, except the criminal invaders will not be able to have continuous possession for the statutory period (years) prescribed.

Not sure if you ended up buying that house, sounds like you had a good lawyer. As soon as a neighbor encroaches in any way on one’s land, one needs to object as that “re-sets” the continuous possession requirement “clock”. Good fences make for good neighbors is not a myth.

[the OlLine Rebel]

Yes, adverse possession is the legal term for “squatter’s rights”!

I learned of this dealing with our graveyard issues. Basically someone with a deeded property next to a closed graveyard wanted to claim it as his, since it seems “abandoned”.

Lesson is don’t ever let your property seem abandoned. Houses are very vulnerable. Visit it for a weekend reasonably often. Have someone else do the same.