What is an adverse possession claim?

Adverse possession is a legal concept that allows someone to gain ownership of a piece of property even though they do not have a legal deed. In Washington, a person can claim a piece of real estate through adverse possession if they have met certain criteria. In order to make an adverse possession claim, the person needs to show that they have had open, notorious, and exclusive possession of the property for a certain period of time, usually at least 10 years. Open and notorious means that the possession was done in a way that was obvious to the public. Exclusive means that the person was the only one using the property. The person also must have paid all taxes on the property during the time of occupation, and they must have a deed or lease that shows their continuous occupancy of the property for the required length of time. Finally, the person must also show that they acted in a good faith belief that they owned the property in order to make a successful claim. In Washington, if these requirements are met, the adverse possession claimant can be entitled to a court judgement granting them ownership of the real estate.

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