What is Adverse Possession?
Adverse possession has been used historically as a means of bringing waste land into economic use. In England and Wales anyone who persevered for a long period in farming otherwise unused land, so helping to feed a hungry nation, was rewarded with recognition of his title to the land regardless of whether or not someone else actually owned the land. In the colonies the mistaken belief that no-one owned the land facilitated the settling and development of the land by squatters who were likewise rewarded with titles to the land they occupied.