Can you claim land by building a house on it and living there?

[wolram]

I know some one that did it, he built a house out of packing cases and lived in it for some time, then he claimed the land was his and got it, he had enough to start a stud farm.

http://www.repossessed-house-sales.co.uk/claimunregisteredlandpropertyfree_160758.html

I am not saying that is the way to go but has anyone ever done such a similar thing?

Seems i know a few plots of land used by farmers but are not officially theirs.

 

[Art]

I know some one that did it, he built a house out of packing cases and lived in it for some time, then he claimed the land was his and got it, he had enough to start a stud farm.

http://www.repossessed-house-sales.co.uk/claimunregisteredlandpropertyfree_160758.html

I am not saying that is the way to go but has anyone ever done such a similar thing?

Seems i know a few plots of land used by farmers but are not officially theirs.

I've heard of it, it's called - Adverse possession - Some tramp in London a few months ago gained title to an acre or two of some park he had been living in for years. Because of it's location it's value was quoted by the press at the time as being around £2 - 3 million!

I bought my current house about 12 years ago and as part of the planning application deal the builder did with the council, he left a wide swathe of land at the front of it (about 1/10 acre) in case the council ever wanted to widen the road. Since then it seems the builder never formally handed the land over to the council who therefore don't maintain it and so I have had to cut the damn grass ever since. I think to get my own back I'll claim adverse possession over it

 

[Evo]

We used to have "homesteading" laws in the US, now only a few states still have them, and even those states limit it to allow homesteading to mean that no one can put a lien on your house. The state I live in doesn't even allow that now. The remaining laws are so restricted that I don't even bother with them as they don't apply to me.

Back in the old days, you could stake a claim and build on it and improve it, then it became yours. No more.

 

[agentyumi]

My great grandfather who is residing in Massachusetts acquired his land through “adverse possession”. They said that he occupied the abandoned land for such a long time; I’m not sure how really long it was but after that he successfully owned the land. I think there were legal requirements that he had provided before he actually acquired the land. If I have time, I will ask my grandfather regarding this matter.

 

[LowlyPion]

My great grandfather who is residing in Massachusetts acquired his land through “adverse possession”. They said that he occupied the abandoned land for such a long time; I’m not sure how really long it was but after that he successfully owned the land. I think there were legal requirements that he had provided before he actually acquired the land. If I have time, I will ask my grandfather regarding this matter.

Also known as "Squatter's rights"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adverse_possession#Squatter.27s_rights

 

[TVP45]

We still have it in PA. The squatter must continously occupy the land for 21 years. The occupation must be open, assertive in nature, and uncontested. It is intended to cover those cases where a genuine mistake about metes and bounds has happened, not to permit theft. The squatter must then go to court and prove all the above.