LogFAQs > #979122598

Mr_Karate_II posted...

How is squatting even legal?

As BBT implied, what we call "squatter's rights" are actually two different things. The more common version that most people think of as "squatter's rights" isn't actually squatting at all, it's just abusing the generous protections renters have against landlords. I'm pretty sure removing the toilet would be illegal in Illinois, even if the tenant didn't have a lease. I know removing doors or changing locks is illegal.

Actual squatter's rights are much longer term, technically called "adverse possession". It can take the form of living in an abandoned building but more often applies to land itself. For example, if you have a pasture where you feed livestock but part of it extends onto a neighboring property, you can eventually file to have the property lines redrawn to give you formal title to that land. The biggest hurdles there are 1) the owner has to know you are using the land 2) the owner has not taken any steps to remove you from the land and 3) you've been using the land for a very long time, anywhere from 10-20 years depending on state.