How do I file adverse possession in Minnesota?

In order to claim title under Minnesota’s adverse possession law (“Recovery of Real Estate”), you must be in possession of the property for 15 years and pay taxes for at least five consecutive years. The statute excludes certain boundary line disputes (see FindLaw’s Property Boundaries section to learn more).

What are the adverse possession laws in Minnesota?

Minnesota Adverse Possession Laws. In order to claim title under Minnesota’s adverse possession law (“Recovery of Real Estate”), you must be in possession of the property for 15 years and pay taxes for at least five consecutive years. The statute excludes certain boundary line disputes (see FindLaw’s Property Boundaries section to learn more).

What does adverse possession mean in real estate law?

Adverse possession is a legal doctrine that allows a person to claim a property right in land owned by another.

How long do you have to be in possession of a property in Minnesota?

Can a neighbor’s fence be considered adverse possession?

For example, a landowner may be unaware that his neighbor’s fence extends several feet over his property line. The occupation is sufficiently hostile, however, because the landowner has not given his neighbor permission to encroach upon his property in this manner.

When to use adverse possession of a property?

Adverse possession should not be confused with having an easement to use another person’s property—for example, when a neighbor has an easement to use your driveway to access his or her property.

How is an easement different from adverse possession?

Easements involve shared rights with others in pieces of property, whereas adverse possession results in a shift in title, and the corresponding right to exclude others from the property. Read more about easements. There is no single statute in the Golden State that dictates the elements that a trespasser must establish to prove adverse possession.