Adverse Possession of Property in PA

Adverse Possession is a means of acquiring property without the permission of or sale by the real owner.

In order to establish a claim of Adverse Possession, the claimant must satisfy the following elements. The possession of the property must be Continuous. As it sounds, this means uninterrupted possession of the property for a period of twenty (20) years (in Pennsylvania).

The next element is Open, meaning that the possession must be visible and not secretive.

The third element is Hostile, meaning that the possession must be without the real owner's permission and against that owner's interests.

The fourth element, Exclusive, means that the adverse possessor must exercise control of the land, excluding all others. If the claimant can satisfy these elements, he/she may be able to file a claim for ownership of the subject property.  This claim would be initiated by filing a Petition in the Court of Common Please of the County in which the property is located.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions regarding Real Property. To set up an initial consultation, contact my office at 412-823-8003 or send an email to Attorney Greg Artim