"Three Lil Pigs and Their Little Dog too..."

Legal Database ^ | 11 June 05 | FreedomRyder

[FreedomRyder]

What are Squatter's Rights? Navigation: Home > Real Estate Law > What are Squatter's Rights?

Squatter's Rights are a laymen's term for something called adverse possession in the legal world. And, indeed, one can lose their property through adverse possession, though it is an ancient law and not something that occurs often in today's world. The doctrine of adverse possession is one that discouraged disuse of property, thus, if property was abandoned, and someone else "squatted" on it for a number of years, the squatter could gain control over the land.

Under the law of adverse possession, however, it's not as easy as just pitching a tent on a piece of land and after a certain period of time has passed claiming that it is yours. Through adverse possession, someone must be on the land for a period of five to fifteen years, depending on the state. During that time, the person must hold the property hostile to the owner's rights - in other words, the person couldn't be there under the permission of the owner. The possession must also be open and notorious, i.e. the possessor is saying to the world, "This land is mine!" The possessor must also be holding the land exclusively for him or her self, and not for someone else.

In most cases, adverse possession is not of entire areas of land. Rather, adverse possession is usually where a neighbor is using an piece of someone else's property for a garden or something similar for a period of years. After the statutory period has passed, that piece of land becomes the property of the possessor. This case would not apply to a landlord tenant relationship, even if the tenant stopped paying rent, because the tenant entered the property with permission of the owner-landlord.

[FreedomRyder]

I need legal help... I'm a single mother in Austin, TX... I've known about a piece of property, a 2 bedroom house that's been unoccupied for a while now. Nothing's being done to the property/house since the owner died. I've tried locating and contacting living relatives inquiring about their plans for the house and offered to rent or buy it. I've had no luck/responses. If I just move into the house, openily live in it what would happen legally if relatives of the owner pop up and claim the house while we're living there? Is there something I can do to while living there to prove my intent to pay rent or buy it? Thanx! FreedomRyder

[Graybeard58]

Somebocy owns it. Try looking at the tax records for the address and see who pays the taxes.

[Graybeard58]

The link for the info you gave doesn't work.

[SIDENET]

Your link doesn't work.

Welcome to FR.

[Mamzelle]

LOL! You mean the Texas with all the Homestead Laws? You'd be better off claiming to be the owner's common-law wife...

[glock rocks]

You can avoid the trespassing charges by calling a realtor who knows how to find such information.

Welcome to Free Republic.

[SIDENET]

"Three Lil Pigs and Their Little Dog too..."

What's with the name of this thread?

(sniff, sniff...)

[glock rocks]

[SIDENET]

LOL!

[glock rocks]

This yer house?

[Eaker]

LOL!!!

Let me check!

[glock rocks]

It should be easy to tell... there should be somebody in there squatting.

[Brad’s Gramma]

O/T..glock. Didja know Eaker's gonna be buying his wife a DIAMOND, every day, for the next five days?

WHOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

[glock rocks]

?

[Brad’s Gramma]

[Brad’s Gramma]