

In Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, South.In Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Vermont, and Virginia, it is 18 years.In Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, West Virginia, and Wyoming, it is 15 years.Alabama, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, and New York, it is 10 years.In Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Tennessee, Utah, and Washington, it is 7 years.In California, Idaho, Montana, and Nevada, it is 5 years.State law prescribes the period of occupation of the land that qualifies the person who occupies the property to claim ownership by adverse possession: How Long Does The Possessor Have To Occupy The Property?

Maintain this status of open occupation without ownership for a period of time specified by law in the state where the property is located, which is usually 10 to 20 years.Use the property without the consent of the land’s legal owner and pay no rent.Openly act as the true owner of the land.maintain the property, pay taxes, and occupy the property What Gives Another Person Rights to My Land / Adverse Possession?įor a person to have adverse possession of a property, the person must: Or, squatters taking over an abandoned building would give the squatters possession since they occupy the land, but the owner still has legal title and owns it. So, for example, an owner can rent out a house and still retain ownership, while the tenants have a right to occupy the house per the terms of a lease agreement. Possession is something different it refers to physical occupation of property. A person who has title to property usually possesses a deed showing their name as owner. Title refers to legal ownership of property.
