Adverse possession

[Deleted member 896]

In Arkansas you only have to live in, maintain, and pay taxes for a period of 7 years. And there are A LOT of cool abandoned homes in the Ozarks.

Hmm...

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Isn't part of the problem with a lot of these ideas that -- given that you are not the legal owner of the property -- you don't even have the right to get basic utilities turned on? Like in the story I linked above the guy was squatting in the house without power.

 

[mentallyinept]

There are stories that pop up from time to time. But I think often if you follow up on it and see if it actually panned out for them, often times you'll find that it didn't. I remember one story years ago that made some national headlines and just now decided to see how the story ended:

https://abcnews.go.com/Business/not...ansion-finally-kicked-judge/story?id=15523138

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That's the one I was thinking of, I even typed "Adverse Possession Texas" into Google based on memory, but it didn't give me the story or any updates.

Thanks for the post.

 

[Dennis8K]

You wouldn't download a house.

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Hell yeah I would.

 

[LegendofJoe]

Isn't part of the problem with a lot of these ideas that -- given that you are not the legal owner of the property -- you don't even have the right to get basic utilities turned on? Like in the story I linked above the guy was squatting in the house without power.

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If the property really is abandoned and no one knows its ownership status I would think that it wouldn't be that difficult to go to the local county recorder office and work something out.

 

[SapientWolf]

I find it difficult to sympathize with those who would oppose the occupation of vacant housing by homeless people. Even as a property owner myself I tend to view the occupation as the lesser evil.

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Squatters ended up burning down a house in LA a year or two ago. People suspect it was a meth lab. I'm not unsympathetic to the homeless but that's just fucked up.

 

[Owl]

In California, you only need to be there for 5 years. Not too impossible lol.

What's weird is that it seems you need to go through a phase that is considered criminally trespassing, and if you don't get caught it's not longer criminal.

 

[Powdered Egg]

There are stories that pop up from time to time. But I think often if you follow up on it and see if it actually panned out for them, often times you'll find that it didn't. I remember one story years ago that made some national headlines and just now decided to see how the story ended:

https://abcnews.go.com/Business/not...ansion-finally-kicked-judge/story?id=15523138

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The reporting for this story is fucked up and the guy's neighbors are both jealous and probably racist. He did nothing illegal or immoral, the owner had abandoned the property. He probably could have stayed longer than 8 months had he not had asshole neighbors playing detective and contacting the news.

The lienholder, Bank of America, also launders money for organized crime.

 

[Books]

Congratulations, you're a hobo.

 

[Prinz Eugn]

Owner died, the relatives are poor and live across the country, and can't afford to take time off and take care of the property yet.

Or like, a million other possible explanations for why the house hasn't been used but not truly abandoned.

 

[RumbleHumble]

Adverse Possession: where you can totally take someone's property, but you have to declare to God, Man, and everyone else in between that it's yours, do a whole lot to maintain it, and hope beyond hope that the rightful owner doesn't tell you to fuck off days before the statutory limit hits.

It's a sucker's game, OP.

 

[LL_Decitrig]

Squatters ended up burning down a house in LA a year or two ago. People suspect it was a meth lab. I'm not unsympathetic to the homeless but that's just fucked up.

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Yes, that would have been unacceptable even if they held full title deed from the very beginning. In the UK even the lawful owner of a property can ultimately forfeit it if they persistently ignore orders against causing a nuisance.

 

[LL_Decitrig]

this is what gets people shot

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Probably not in any sane jurisdiction. But yes, Muricka is one place where property disputes risk that kind of escalation.

 

[Interested Observer]

So the OP just wants to steal somebody's house?

Well done, you're trash.

 

[phonicjoy]

It was and is pretty common here, and protected. All stemming from a housing crisis in the 70's.

Owner died, the relatives are poor and live across the country, and can't afford to take time off and take care of the property yet.

Or like, a million other possible explanations for why the house hasn't been used but not truly abandoned.

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The most common reason here was property developers waiting on the right time to go to market, while the housing market was getting tighter constantly

 

[Deleted member 39374]

In California you can squat on the property, transfer the utilities in your name, pay the property taxes, and if you do all of this without getting interrupted for 5 years the place is yours

Do it OP, it's one of the most profoundly American laws. Settle the land!

 

[Deleted member 48897]

Well, storage facilities are sold off if abandoned.. that's actually a bad example.

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They're also privately owned and rented. I don't like that kind of policy necessarily (ask me about civil asset forfeiture sometime!!) but it's more like parking my car in a private lot, getting it towed, and then never paying to get it out of the impound vs. trying to take possession of my car that's in my fucking driveway.

Adverse Possession: where you can totally take someone's property, but you have to declare to God, Man, and everyone else in between that it's yours, do a whole lot to maintain it, and hope beyond hope that the rightful owner doesn't tell you to fuck off days before the statutory limit hits.

It's a sucker's game, OP.

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I would die laughing if the property owners did something like "Thanks for maintaining our property while we were away but kindly fuck off as we are the rightful owners of it".

 

[inner-G]

I would die laughing if the property owners did something like "Thanks for maintaining our property while we were away but kindly fuck off as we are the rightful owners of it".

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That would be within their rights

 

[Nostremitus]

OP, in here talking like he's the pirate of the real estate high seizure.

 

[Deleted member 19003]

Going to risk tresspassing and breaking and entering charges? At least look up and see if someone is paying taxes on it.

 

[Deleted member 48897]

That would be within their rights

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Yep! OP is playing if not a dangerous game then one where the, uh, the house has a huge advantage

 

[LL_Decitrig]

I would die laughing if the property owners did something like "Thanks for maintaining our property while we were away but kindly fuck off as we are the rightful owners of it".

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This is the most likely outcome under current law. If I had a squatter so diligent, I'm sure I could offer them a decent Sharia mortgage-style deal which would give them secure possession and make sure I was recompensed. If they refused I'd simply point out that I could grab the whole thing back at the last minute leaving them out of pocket and without a home.

 

[LegalEagleMike]

I already passed the bar, im not diving into this crap again lol

 

[WascallyWabbit]

This has the chance to be the greatest moment in this site's history if OP decides to go through with it

So do it, OP

 

[Syriel]

I would die laughing if the property owners did something like "Thanks for maintaining our property while we were away but kindly fuck off as we are the rightful owners of it".

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Property taxes are less than rent. If you can live at a discount for a few years, even if you are eventually kicked out, you've still come out ahead. Property owner had someone maintaining and you had a cheap place to live.

The law is written to benefit the community. Not the individual.

 

[Deleted member 48897]

Property taxes are less than rent. If you can live at a discount for a few years, even if you are eventually kicked out, you've still come out ahead. Property owner had someone maintaining and you had a cheap place to live.

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Yeah this is fair (or at least, I would agree that nobody who would be a landlord would charge a rent lower than property taxes and general upkeep, but that ties into why I'm not super into private rental property ownership).

I've at least been working under the understanding that OP is currently owning the place he lives in. If OP is renting that makes this decision less harebrained though it wouldn't become a good idea. OP, are you renting? OP, are you squatting???

 

[Lonewolf]

I've lived in my current rental for 10 years. The house behind mine has never been lived in for that period, no one on the block knows who owns it, and while the house is in okay shape, the yard is overgrown to the point you could bale it for hay. It's pretty much the definition of abandoned. Even in that condition I wouldn't think of doing what the OP is considering.

 

[Dennis8K]

Occupying a house of uncertain residence/ownership in the land of 100,00,000 guns seems like a great plan.

Sweet dreams in your new home, OP.

 

[Landy828]

You wouldn't download a house.

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I would if I had a 3D printer big enough (like that concrete printing one that exists).

 

[Froyo Love]

OP, since adverse possession requires that your use of the property be open and notorious, the real way to do this is to look up the property owner through county records, get contact information for them, and then inform them by registered mail "I'm taking your house, what are you wusses gonna do about it??"

 

[bossmonkey]

Well, storage facilities are sold off if abandoned.. that's actually a bad example. And I'd say yes I could take your car if I see it sitting there rusting for 1 year and is never used.

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The thing is you mentioned that there are lights on and a car there so for all you know someone is there and just very rarely leaves. Could be an elderly person who can't get out easily.

 

[msdstc]

This smacks of "sovereign citizen" nonsense in that you read something on reddit or in a book and you think it's easy to just turn it around and use it.

On top of that the fucking lights are on, somebody is paying the bills, therefore it has an owner. How have you not put that together?

 

[Owl]

I've lived in my current rental for 10 years. The house behind mine has never been lived in for that period, no one on the block knows who owns it, and while the house is in okay shape, the yard is overgrown to the point you could bale it for hay. It's pretty much the definition of abandoned. Even in that condition I wouldn't think of doing what the OP is considering.

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So I know you can lay claim to a neighbor's land by laying down your fence and it encroaches on their property by a few feet but they don't say anything about it, it is yours after a while. Can you do that to an adjacent abandoned property? Like just remove the fence separating you and put up a fence around it connecting to your house and after a few years it's yours?

Would be a hilarious sight to see and seems plausible? Better hop on that before your neighbors do!

 

[LL_Decitrig]

This smacks of "sovereign citizen" nonsense in that you read something on reddit or in a book and you think it's easy to just turn it around and use it.

On top of that the fucking lights are on, somebody is paying the bills, therefore it has an owner. How have you not put that together?

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Sovereign Citizens are crackpots who think there is a material difference to how you capitalise somebody's name, and whether the flag in a courtroom has gold tassles. They falsely believe that they are entitled to a literal pot of gold if only they can mesmerise the court with their foolproof spells. No such pot exists and no court ever falls for their illiterate nonsense.

Adverse possession is rarely exercised successfully, but it's a real legal theory that helps to shape the way we think about property disputes. Hope that helps.

 

[Lonewolf]

So I know you can lay claim to a neighbor's land by laying down your fence and it encroaches on their property by a few feet but they don't say anything about it, it is yours after a while. Can you do that to an adjacent abandoned property? Like just remove the fence separating you and put up a fence around it connecting to your house and after a few years it's yours?

Would be a hilarious sight to see and seems plausible? Better hop on that before your neighbors do!

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I'm sure my landlord would love that. ;p

 

[msdstc]

Sovereign Citizens are crackpots who think there is a material difference to how you capitalise somebody's name, and whether the flag in a courtroom has gold tassles. They falsely believe that they are entitled to a literal pot of gold if only they can mesmerise the court with their foolproof spells. No such pot exists and no court ever falls for their illiterate nonsense.

Adverse possession is rarely exercised successfully, but it's a real legal theory that helps to shape the way we think about property disputes. Hope that helps.

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I get that believe me, I'm comparing the two, because you'll see people pulled over for driving without a license cry sovereign citizen after reading about it on reddit and thinking they've outsmarted the system.

The house has lights on and a car in the driveway. It's just so far beyond naive to think you can just move your stuff in there and claim it as your own.

 

[GearDraxon]

There's an interesting loophole with adverse possession: if you're able to prove that it's your property by testifying about something in or on it that nobody but the owner would know (like, say, a knife left in a drain), then you don't have to wait out the full period.

I still think it would be better for OP to get a nice easy job like movie producer than to try to steal someone else's house.

 

[hombremalo]

All land is stolen

 

[Aftermath]

Lights on and abandoned car?

Someone's dead in there, good luck with the dead body

 

[vainya]

My mother in law owns a home that has been abandoned for at least 9 years. She wants to get it out of her name but can't sell. I wonder if this is a way out. Let someone squat in there and keep it up and then the house is theirs. It's crazy that people can do that.

I think the house the OP wants probably has someone living in it. They could be hoarders or something. We have a house like that down the street from us. There's junk everywhere, the house is falling apart, abandoned cars in the yard, but one light is on in the house. So someone is there.

 

[Akira86]

OP tries to break into house. Meets unique family of squatters who just coincidentally lost a member. They just so happen to need someone of his particular skillset, plus the leaders unmarried daughter seems to have an eye for OP.

 

[Deleted member 21709]

I find it difficult to sympathize with those who would oppose the occupation of vacant housing by homeless people. Even as a property owner myself I tend to view the occupation as the lesser evil.

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He doesn't know it is vacant. He doesn't know if the owners are still alive.

 

[Froyo Love]

There's an interesting loophole with adverse possession: if you're able to prove that it's your property by testifying about something in or on it that nobody but the owner would know (like, say, a knife left in a drain), then you don't have to wait out the full period.

I still think it would be better for OP to get a nice easy job like movie producer than to try to steal someone else's house.

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this is not true, and obviously not true, because any squatter has information about the condition of property that the absent owner doesn't

 

[msdstc]

this is not true, and obviously not true, because any squatter has information about the condition of property that the absent owner doesn't

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lmao this thread is making my brain swell.

 

[Dennis8K]

OP tries to break into house. Meets unique family of squatters who just coincidentally lost a member. They just so happen to need someone of his particular skillset, plus the leaders unmarried daughter seems to have an eye for OP.

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Cant wait for the My Little ResetEra Squatter Can't Be This Cute anime adaption.

 

[LL_Decitrig]

He doesn't know it is vacant. He doesn't know if the owners are still alive.

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He has to do his homework, I agree. He also must not break in. If the place has functional locks his chance of successful occupation dies there. Conversely if he can document a roof leak that is unrepaired (for example) and would cause structural collapse if left unattended, provided this renders the property insecure he can gain access to it without breaking any law. I would find it difficult to object to somebody who lawfully climbs into a clearly derelict property and proceeds to bring it back into a habitable state at his own expense.

 

[cursed knowledge]

this is a thing in Brazil, and iirc the house become yours in 5 years, it's called "usucapião"

our constitution says this exists because all properties need to have proper social usage, something like that

 

[Euphoria]

Did I actually read that OP thinks if I had a car in my driveway that I haven't used for a year (for whatever reason) he believes he should be able to just take it?

I have so many questions about OP.

 

[Syriel]

My mother in law owns a home that has been abandoned for at least 9 years. She wants to get it out of her name but can't sell. I wonder if this is a way out. Let someone squat in there and keep it up and then the house is theirs. It's crazy that people can do that.

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Plenty of ways to do that. Don't need to revert to letting someone squat.

 

[Deleted member 48897]

So I know you can lay claim to a neighbor's land by laying down your fence and it encroaches on their property by a few feet but they don't say anything about it, it is yours after a while. Can you do that to an adjacent abandoned property? Like just remove the fence separating you and put up a fence around it connecting to your house and after a few years it's yours?

Would be a hilarious sight to see and seems plausible? Better hop on that before your neighbors do!

Click to shrink...

Strongly encourage the OP to do something like this, but gradually so nobody notices. Adjust the fencing one inch every day until he has finally colonized this person's entire backyard. As bubsy the bobcat told us all, what could pawthibbly go wrong??

 

[ZackieChan]

Imagine if OP used his great mental powers for good, not evil