What is up with Tarrant County, Texas?

[rkeith]

People stealing houses through adverse possession!!!

Squatters In Texas Town Use Arcane Law To Claim Vacant Homes | Fox News

 

[Western]

Not just Tarrant county.

According to our local TV news, there is a "pastor" of some sort (scammer), that has "educated" some of his followers about this old law. Seems in the DFW area several are connected to him and they have been or are in the process of evictions/arrest..

Most of the stories are about foreclosed or unsold newer homes being occupied, at least from what I have seen.

 

[rkeith]

Wow! In Alabama you have to have clear and open possession for 20 years. Must be shorter in Texas.

 

[Scotty Dive]

My grandparents lost part of an empty lot in rhode island. They would go and pay their taxes at town hall once a year but other than that they let it be. They owned it for over 30 years as an investment or possible retirement location. The next door neighbor sued them for posession and could prove that they "maintained it". They had a picture of a family picnic that had a table on my grandparents property. It became our burden to show proof that between 10 years of that picture, we had somehow maintained it to break the 10 year window. Since my grandparents did not have any proof (pictures or other) they proved that they had maintained it although they paid no taxes etc. After they lost the property, a real estate attorney told us...that all we had to do is say we gave them permission to use the land and now we don't want them on it anymore. that would have satisfied RI law. Funny thing is....the Town also lost a piece of property to the same people. They are scum...My grandparents were 85 when this happened and the law and these very dishonest people took years of their lives. So these things can still happen. I know if Florida - you have to pay the taxes on the property for a period of time and have it recorded with the county.

 

[jinman]

Not to go off on a hi-jack tangent, but it seems to me that adverse possession would be a way for people to claim mineral rights to their property. I wonder why we never hear of a suit related to mineral rights? Perhaps adverse possession refers only to surface rights and improvements. I'm thrilled that Tarrant and Dallas Counties have decided to prosecute the home theives who move into vacant properties. I loved the TV footage of one of the guys being put into handcuffs as he left an eviction hearing. He was eventually charged with felony theft of domicile or some such similar charge.:thumbsup:

 

[RoyJackson]

Wow! In Alabama you have to have clear and open possession for 20 years. Must be shorter in Texas.

I believe it's 7 years in Pennsylvania.

I can believe it's shorter in Texas...but less then a year?

 

[Western]

Jim, that is an interesting point, being with all the gas and oil drilling that has gone on.

I believe Texas has a 10 year limit on AP

 

[brin]

My Neighbor at the farm lost 3 acres to the person that bought the land adjoining his. The survey that had been done some 40 yrs. ago was found to be in error. So when my neighbor found out he would have to move his fence and give up about 30 feet all along that side of his property he went to an attorney and sued under Adverse Possession...He had openly and notoriously used the land for 30+ yrs. and had fenced it in..he had mowed it and maintained it all those years....He lost and the new neighbor won...that is here in Georgia....Adverse possession is difficult at best.

 

[Bird]

Just as we have have new laws, new products, new technology, etc., the criminals keep coming with new scams, too.

 

[RoyJackson]

My Neighbor at the farm lost 3 acres to the person that bought the land adjoining his. The survey that had been done some 40 yrs. ago was found to be in error. So when my neighbor found out he would have to move his fence and give up about 30 feet all along that side of his property he went to an attorney and sued under Adverse Possession...He had openly and notoriously used the land for 30+ yrs. and had fenced it in..he had mowed it and maintained it all those years....He lost and the new neighbor won...that is here in Georgia....Adverse possession is difficult at best.

If your neighbor had known he was maintaining another's (neglected) property, he probably would have won.
However, since he had, erroneously, believed it was his property...well, reckon the court made the right decision.
Now, he could sue the surveyor for monetary losses (moving the fence and maintenance costs for the years he thought he owned the property.