Adverse possession is the process where a person who does not hold the paper title to the land seeks to register it in their favour. This is an extremely complex area of law and a number of criteria must be met before any application will be considered.
Please see the practice guides below which will explain the process for claiming land by adverse possession. The application will depend on whether the land is registered or unregistered so you may wish to complete a postal
Search of the Index Map application initially if you feel you are able to make such a claim.
Practice Guide 4 - Adverse Possession of registered land. This guide tells you about applications for adverse possession of registered land, the procedures for making these applications and the options available to anyone served with notice of such an application.
Practice Guide 5 - Adverse possession of (1) unregistered and (2) registered land where a right to be registered was acquired before 13 October 2003. Aimed at conveyancers, this guide explains Land Registry's approach to applications based on adverse possession for (1) first registration of unregistered land and (2) registration as proprietor of registered land where a squatter was in adverse possession for the requisite limitation period so as to have acquired a right to be registered as proprietor before 13 October 2003.
