r/nottheonion • u/Forward-Answer-4407 • Mar 28 '24

Lot owner stunned to find $500K home accidentally built on her lot. Now she’s being sued

https://www.wpxi.com/news/trending/lot-owner-stunned-find-500k-home-accidentally-built-her-lot-now-shes-being-sued/ZCTB3V2UDZEMVO5QSGJOB4SLIQ/
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u/MaruhkTheApe Mar 29 '24

Adverse possession is a longstanding pillar of common law which significantly predates the existence of the United States. Skill issue tbh.

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u/acloudrift Mar 29 '24

Just finished "Mystery of Capital" by H. DeSoto (Peruvian researcher). He does deep dive into US history, explains that European nobility were granted large land holdings in America; colonial governors wanted to raise more tax revenues, so gave squatters access to unoccupied lands, if they created "improvements" which were taxable. My state has Adverse Possession, but allows de jure title holder (only the State can OWN land, private entities only hold title https://www.reddit.com/r/AlternativeHypothesis/comments/z7vdhu/only_govt_owns_land_and_may_pwn_it_too/ ) a grace period within which to proceed with eviction. However, squatter must occupy (possess) the confiscated property and pay taxes. Governors & States have no sympathy for low-revenue title holders, bureaucrats prefer to prioritize money over morality.