adverse possession

American  

noun

Law.

1. the open and exclusive occupation and use of someone else's real property without permission of the owner continuously for a period of years prescribed by law, thereafter giving title to the occupier-user.

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adverse possession British  

noun

1. property law the occupation or possession of land by a person not legally entitled to it. If continued unopposed for a period specifed by law, such occupation extinguishes the title of the rightful owner

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Example Sentences

He used a legal doctrine called adverse possession, which required him to prove that he had occupied the waterfront for years, continuously and publicly, against the owners’ wishes.

From The New Yorker • Jul. 15, 2019

So, we filed an action to return the property using arcane legal theory known as adverse possession.

From MSNBC • May 29, 2019

But, he said it did not seem like the person in Gwynn’s house was actually a case where any type of adverse possession applied.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 9, 2019

The lawyer said the plan was to take ownership of the refuge by adverse possession, occupying it for years and then turning it over to local officials.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 19, 2016

I went down a bit of a rabbit hole here; the property has been tied up in a legal dispute since late 2012, and then an additional case was opened in 2018 about adverse possession.

From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy