In article ,
John wrote:

By the way adverse possession was created in PA to help the land get
settled way back when William Penn acquired ownership.

It's standard enough in the New England states, at least, that it
probably comes down from English law. And it applies in the 21st
century- you can find long discussions of it in the 20th century if you
dredge up the right books, and it's not about some olde outdated
practice. In part, it is one way to avoid the loss of use of tracts that
are held by negligent absentee owners. You have to be fairly negligent
to not notice that someone has been using your land for 20 years.

20 (or 21, in Pa, perhaps) years, continuous, and it has to be ADVERSE
possession. Some idiots have tried crap like "the caretaker (employee)
claiming to own the cottage/camp he caretakes and is permitted to live
at" - nope. Not only don't you get the place, you get fired after more
than 20 years and you won't be getting a good recommendation, either. If
the owner gives permission to use the property, possession is not
adverse, and it doesn't matter how many years. Evidence of possession
varies, but things like maintaining a fence, or the garden that was
mentioned earlier - active use of the land, documented, without
permission, and maintained for 20 years.

http://www.massrealestatelawblog.com...ences-make-ups
et-neighbors-adverse-possession-in-massachusetts/

Heck, in Iowa it's a mere 10 years:

http://www.calt.iastate.edu/millsvrobinson.html

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