Adverse Possession Laws in Select States
Every state within the U.S. has its own statutory scheme regulating the doctrine of "adverse possession" -- in which someone who has used property belonging to another for a particularly long time, in a manner that suggests that he or she was the owner, can be granted legal ownership by a court. While the basic principles to this type of law are similar across the U.S., the statutory time period varies a good deal. Whether you're a land owner wanting to protect your boundaries or have been using land that you've come to believe should rightfully be yours, learn more about your state's adverse possession law here.
Under certain circumstances, a trespasser can come onto land, occupy it, and gain legal ownership of it. Here’s where to find your state rules covering adverse possession.
In rare cases, Colorado law allows people who trespass and encroach on other's land for18 years, reasonably believing it to be their own, to develop an ownership claim to the property.
Squatters, trespassers, and encroachers may, over time and by complying with the statute and paying taxes, gain ownership rights to Florida property.
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