What is adverse possession?

• A. The process by which the government seizes land.
• B. A contract for sale of land.
• C. A temporary permission to occupy land.
• D. Acquiring title to land through open, continuous, exclusive possession for the statutory period without the owner's permission.

Answer: (D)

Adverse possession means you can acquire legal ownership of land by occupying it as if it were your own for a long enough, uninterrupted period, without the owner's permission. To work, your possession must be actual (you’re really using the land), exclusive (you’re not sharing control with the owner), open and notorious (your use is visible, so the owner could notice), and adverse or hostile (you don’t have the owner’s permission). It also has to be continuous for the statutory period defined by law. If all these elements are met, you may obtain title to the land through the appropriate formal steps with the land registry. It’s not about government seizure, a sale contract, or a mere temporary permission to occupy.