What is adverse possession?

Adverse possession is a legal doctrine that allows a person to claim ownership of land under specific conditions, typically after continuous and exclusive possession for a statutory period. This doctrine aims to encourage the productive use of land and resolve disputes over land ownership.

To successfully claim adverse possession, the individual must often demonstrate that their use of the property is hostile (without permission), open and notorious (visible to others), and continuous for a duration that varies by jurisdiction. If these conditions are met, the possessor may be able to obtain legal title to the property, even if they do not hold the original deed.

The other options do not relate to this concept effectively. A type of lease agreement pertains to rental arrangements rather than ownership claims. A process for selling property owned by others refers to real estate transactions but is not about possession. A method of valuation for real estate deals with assessing property worth, which is unrelated to the legal claim to property ownership that adverse possession entails.