What is Squatters Law?
Squatters Law, otherwise known as Adverse Possession is a process by which ownership of land transfers from one party to another by virtue of the fact that a party (often referred to as a ‘squatter’) has held that land, to the exclusion of all others without consent.
No compensation is payable by the party acquiring the land.
What should I do if I think I have acquired property through Squatters Law?
If you have acquired a property through Squatters Law, you will be required to provide evidence to demonstrate possession of the land. This could include utility bills or other correspondence associated with the land.
You need to demonstrate any changes/improvements you have made to the land use, for example internal works or external improvements to the land.
If you have obtained land through Squatters Law our expert team can help and it is important to take good legal advice at the earliest opportunity.
What should I do if I think squatters are on my land?
If you think your land is being acquired by squatters you should contact us immediately and not take the law into your own hands.
If you are the owner and receive a letter from the land registry that a squatter has made an application for Squatters Rights you must seek immediate legal advice.
Failure to respond to the letter could result in the land registry accepting the squatters application and registering the squatter as the land owner.
If a squatter legally acquires the land using Squatters Law then you the land owner will receive no compensation for the loss of the land.
How can you try and avoid Squatters on your land?
Steps can be taken to try and avoid adverse possession of your land, these can include;
- Regularly inspecting your property – even if it is derelict
- Register unregistered titles of land at the land registry
- Keep the land registry updated with your contact details. If a claim is made against your land and you don’t receive the notification you are more likely to lose it
Do I need a solicitor?
Yes. There is little doubt that in this minefield of legal practice, you will need good legal advice on Squatters Law and how it impacts on you, whether you are the land owner or the squatter. It is important to keep in mind that doing nothing can be equally as important as doing something. Remember, an initial telephone call to one of our lawyers will cost you nothing.
Contact our team of dispute resolution solicitors at one of our offices across Lincolnshire and Newark, in Boston, Grantham, Lincoln, Newark and Sleaford.
How can we help?
How can we help?
