Squatters Rights Indiana
Squatters’ rights, also known as adverse possession in Indiana, allow a person to gain ownership of land without having to pay for it. If you’ve been living on someone else’s property and have been paying property taxes for a certain amount of time, then you might be able to take possession of the property.
In this guide, we’ll explain how squatter’s rights work in Indiana and what steps you’ll need to take if you want them to apply in your case.
Indiana’s Squatter’s Rights
There’s a legal concept called “squatter’s rights” or “adverse possession.” This means that if you live on a piece of property for a certain amount of time, the property can become yours.
The squatter must occupy the property continuously and exclusively, without permission from the owner. If anyone else lives there at any point during that period—even for one night—the clock starts over.
For example, suppose your neighbor leaves town and lets his house sit empty for six months while he goes on vacation. He finally comes back and finds that you’ve been living in his home since he left! Under Indiana law, since you were occupying it with his knowledge (he knew it was empty), then under adverse possession law he would have no grounds to evict you unless you had already lived there longer than six months before he came back.
What are Squatter’s Rights?
Squatter’s rights is the legal principle that a person who has occupied property without the permission of its owner can gain ownership of that property. The law is based on the principle that if a person has occupied a piece of real estate for a certain period of time, the law will presume that they have a right to own it.
In some jurisdictions, such as Indiana and California, squatting laws are specifically written into their real estate codes. In these cases, there are specific statutes that outline how long someone must occupy your home before being able to claim it as theirs or evict them from your property through court proceedings.
Other Adverse Possession Laws in Indiana
Adverse possession laws differ from state to state and even from county to county. For example, in some states, adverse possession of land must be open and notorious (meaning that the landowner must know that someone is living on his or her property). In Indiana, however, it only matters whether the claimant has openly asserted his or her ownership of the property.
In other words: If a squatter takes over your property and you never see him or her, then he cannot claim title to it by adverse possession. The act of squatting itself is not enough evidence to prove that he intended to keep quiet about it—in other words, he didn’t intend for you not notice him there!
Are you a squatter in Indiana?
If you are a squatter, you are trespassing on the property. As such, you have no rights to the property and the owner can evict you at anytime.
Indiana has specific laws about squatting.
Indiana has specific laws regarding squatting. Squatters rights are not the same as adverse possession.
Squatters can claim land in Indiana if they have been on the property for five years, continuously and peaceably; the property has been abandoned by its owner; and no one in title has taken any action to remove them from the property.
Conclusion
Indiana laws are very clear about squatters’ rights, and we hope this article has helped you understand the law better. We know that sometimes knowing the ins and outs of your rights can be confusing, but if you have questions about how Indiana laws apply to your situation, we encourage you to reach out for help.
