How do I get legal claim to abandoned property?
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How do I get legal claim to abandoned property?
I have lived in a house for the past 4 years and I have not found any one claiming ownership, living or dead. I have also found no listing of this property in any city, county or state records. I want to know what to do to have legal claim to this property?
Asked on August 17, 2012 under Real Estate Law, Alabama
Answers:
Anne Brady / Law Office of Anne Brady
Answered 11 years ago | Contributor
What you are talking about is called adverse possession. Â To establish such a claim in Arizona, as well as in Alabama, you have to have possession of the property that is exclusive, open & notorious, adverse to the interest of the true property owner and continuous for 10 years. Â In Alabama there are additional requirements regarding paying the taxes on the property for 10 years and having filed a deed or color of title with the probate court at the beginning of the 10 years.
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