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Adverse possessions

What is Adverse possessions or possessory possession?

Adverse possession is when a person gains title to a property if they have remained in that same property for a certain amount of time.

A person or persons who has occupied the Land for the prescribed amount of time, in certain circumstances can prevent the true owner from reclaiming the Land.

Length of time required to claim title 9544936_l

In order for a person to successfully claim title to a property over the true owner, and extinguishing their title at the same token, a person must gain uninterrupted possession of a property for 12 years or longer in Queensland and New South Wales.

In Victoria for a person to be successful in their claim of adverse possession, they must have stayed at the one place for 15 years or more.

A person in New South Wales can potentially make a claim for Crown land through adverse possession if they have lived in the same place for 30 years.

How is adverse possessions proved?

The claimant must have evidence of occupation and possession.legal law

Adverse possession means not a mere occupation but also actual physical possession in an open and peaceful manner, without consent of the original owner.

The claimant will need to be able to prove to the Titles Office in the State of jurisdiction that they have occupied the land for the entire period of time required.

If there is any form of permission (such as a license, lease, or agreement to use the land), adverse possession cannot be claimed because it will be clear that the owner never intended to pass over ownership.

Who can claim adverse possession?

Anyone who is prepared to take possession of a vacant property or land subject to meeting all the requirements of the Laws of the State of jurisdiction.

If you were intending to attempt this seek advice from a property Lawyer as gaining adverse possession isn't an easy process and few people will gain land through this method.

The law and squatters

Under the Limitations Act 1969 in NSW, a claim of adverse possession can be made against an owner after living in the property unobstructed for a period of 12 years. 

This is an interesting law also known as "squatter's rights".

Squatters are not tenants.

Squatters occupy premises without the consent of the person who is legally in possession (typically the owner).

That's why property owners want them occupied by legal tenants as a property that has been unoccupied for some time has the potential to be claimed by a squatter.

This could happen in the case of a deceased estate that may be in litigation for some years because of claims against the Will or no Will existing and the relatives do not have the right to take possession and have to leave the property empty until the estate is resolved

Garth Brown's Comments

9180619 - 3d illustration of a scale and two houses

Adverse Possession was recently bought to the fore when a Sydney squatter made news because he is attempting to claim legal ownership of a million-dollar terrace by citing a historic tenancy law using an arcane real estate law.

Whether or not this squatter will be successful remains to be seen but it highlights the dilemma faced by property owners with unoccupied premises (as outlined in the above paragraph), as squatting has become a way of life for a growing number of people and it can be very difficult and expensive evicting them.


About Garth Brown is the Founder and Director of Brown and Brown Conveyancers one of Sydney’s leading Conveyancing Firms. With 20 years experience as a practicing Conveyancer he has assisted hundreds of Clients to navigate through the maze of conveyancing issues when buying and selling property. Visit www.conveyancers.net.au/
37 comments

Hi Michael I bought my property in 2012 in Perth. I had the property surveyed recently and it appears that there is a triangle 6x6 m outside of my fence which goes across the neighbor's driveway. I want to claim the land. can they claim adverse poss ...Read full version

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Hi, We purchased a property with main frontage on a laneway. There is about 2.5metres of the front garden allocated for future road widening back from when the lot was subdivided mid last century. The 'road widening' section has always been part of ...Read full version

1 reply

I know where there's a parcel of freehold land that hasn't been occupied or had a new title holder name added since the 1890's. Would contacting council to pay the rates, and putting up a fence be considered possession, or would I need to live there ...Read full version

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