Glossary · Property
Adverse Possession
adverse-possession-e5bd43c3b6f66051-2026-07-28
- Type
- Glossary
- Jurisdiction
- National
- Date
- 2026-07-28
- Topic
- Property
A doctrine by which someone who openly occupies another's land without permission for a statutory period, often 10 to 20 years, can acquire legal title to it. The possession must be actual, exclusive, open and notorious, hostile to the owner's rights, and continuous for the full period. The rule pushes owners to police their boundaries and quiets stale disputes over long-settled land use.
Definition
A doctrine by which someone who openly occupies another's land without permission for a statutory period, often 10 to 20 years, can acquire legal title to it. The possession must be actual, exclusive, open and notorious, hostile to the owner's rights, and continuous for the full period. The rule pushes owners to police their boundaries and quiets stale disputes over long-settled land use.
Adverse Possession. A doctrine by which someone who openly occupies another's land without permission for a statutory period, often 10 to 20 years, can acquire legal title to it. The possession must be actual, exclusive, open and notorious, hostile to the owner's rights, and continuous for the full period. The rule pushes owners to police their boundaries and quiets stale disputes over long-settled land use. Example: After maintaining the fenced strip as their garden for 22 years, the neighbors acquired it by adverse possession.