Adverse possession is a method to gain title to real estate by occupying it for at least five years. There are five requirements that must be satisfied in order to gain title through adverse possession:
1. Possession must be held under “claim of right” or “color of title.”
2. There must be an actual, open, and notorious occupation of the property in such a manner that constitutes reasonable notice to hte record owner.
3. Occupation must be both exclusive and hostile to the title of the true owner.
4. There must be uninterrupted and continuous possession for at least five years.
5. The possessor must pay all of the property taxes for the property for five years.
These requirements can often be difficult to satisfy unless a property owner truly has abandoned the property. In future blog posts, I will write about what each requirement means and how to satisfy each requirement.
