Squatters Take Over Homes Under Archaic Law

Imagine going to a house or condo you own and finding a stranger living there who claims the property no longer belongs to you.

Palm Coast, FL – June 23, 2010


FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. –  Imagine going to a house or condo you own and finding a stranger living there who claims the property no longer belongs to you.
It’s happening across Florida and other parts of the country through what authorities say is abuse of a centuries-old concept known as adverse possession.
Dating back to Renaissance England, adverse possession allowed people to take over abandoned cottages and farmland, provided they were willing to live there and pay the taxes. These days, officials say, the legal doctrine is being misused by squatters, trespassers and swindlers to claim ownership of vacant or foreclosed homes.
3 replies
  1. Toby
    Toby says:

    Reply to erp

    Abandonment means different things to different people. Under the laws of adverse possession, it means you have not occupied the property or paid taxes for at least 7 years. What does it mean to you?

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