Adverse Possession - 14 MRSA 812

ADVERSE POSSESSION

TITLE 14
§812. Acquisition of rights-of-way and easements by adverse possession; notice to prevent
No person, class of persons or the public shall acquire a right-of-way or other easement through, in, upon or over the land of another by the adverse use and enjoyment thereof, unless it is continued uninterruptedly for 20 years. If a person apprehends that a right-of-way or other easement in or over his land may be acquired by custom, use or otherwise by any person, class of persons or the public, he may give public notice of his intention to prevent the acquisition of such easement by causing a copy of such notice to be posted in some conspicuous place upon the premises for 6 successive days, or in the case of land in the unorganized territory, by causing a copy of such notice to be recorded in the registry of deeds for the county where his land lies, and such posting or recording shall prevent the acquiring of such easement by use for any length of time thereafter; or he may prevent a particular person or persons from acquiring such easement by causing an attested copy of such notice to be served by an officer qualified to serve civil process upon him or them in hand or by leaving it at his or their dwelling house, or, if the person to whom such notice is to be given is not in the State such copy may be left with the tenant or occupant of the estate, if any. If there is no such tenant or occupant, a copy of such notice shall be posted for 6 successive days in some conspicuous place upon such estate. Such notice from the agent, guardian or conservator of the owner of land shall have the same effect as a notice from the owner himself. A certificate by an officer qualified to serve civil process that such copy has been served or posted by him as provided, if made upon original notice and recorded with it, within 3 months after the service or posting in the registry of deeds for the county or district in which the land lies, shall be conclusive evidence of such service or posting. [1971, c. 450, §1 (AMD).]

SECTION HISTORY
1971, c. 450, §1 (AMD).

§812-A. Dedication of land in the unorganized territory to public use; notice to prevent
If a person apprehends that his land in the unorganized territory or any interest therein may be dedicated to public use by custom, use or by any act or acts of that person or any persons acting on his behalf, he may give public notice that he has no intent to dedicate his land or any interest therein to public use, by causing a copy of such notice to be recorded in the registry of deeds for the county where the land lies, and such recording shall prevent such dedication. The failure to do so shall not create any implication of dedication. [1971, c. 450, §2 (NEW).]

SECTION HISTORY
1971, c. 450, §2 (NEW).

§812-B. Recording requirements
To satisfy the recording provisions of sections 812 and 812-A, with respect to land in the unorganized territory, the notice shall describe the land specifically or by reference to source of title, so as to identify it, and shall not be in the form of a reference to whatever land the person may own in the respective county or township. Such notice shall expire after 10 years but new notices, each effective for a 10-year period, may be so recorded at any time. [1979, c. 541, Pt. A, §138 (AMD).]

SECTION HISTORY
1971, c. 450, §3 (NEW). 1979, c. 541, §A138 (AMD).

§813. Adverse obstruction on rights-of-way; interruption by notice
No right-of-way or other easement existing in, upon, over or through the land of another shall be extinguished by the adverse obstruction thereof, unless such adverse obstruction has been continued uninterruptedly for 20 years. A notice in writing given by the owner of such right-of-way or other easement to the person whose land is subject thereto, setting forth said owner's intention to contest the extinguishment of such right-of-way or other easement, and duly served and recorded as provided in section 812, shall be deemed an interruption of such obstruction and prevent the extinguishment of such right-of-way or other easement.

§814. Trespass on wild lands; notice to quit; record; private roads in unorganized territory
If any person without right dwells upon or in any manner occupies any lands which on the first day of April, 1883 were wild lands, any owner of such wild lands or of any legal or equitable interest therein may cause a notice to quit such lands to be served upon such person by any sheriff or deputy sheriff, by giving the same to such person in hand. Such officer shall make his return upon a copy of such notice certified by him to be a true copy, and within 60 days thereafter such owner may cause such copy and return to be recorded in the registry of deeds in the county or district where said land is located. Proceedings had and taken as specified shall bar such person who has so entered or dwells upon such wild land from obtaining any rights by adverse possession to the land upon which he has so entered. Such person shall be entitled to the benefits of all the provisions of law relating to betterments.

In roads privately owned in unorganized territory notwithstanding the other provisions of this subchapter, no title or interest shall be acquired against the owners thereof by adverse possession, prescription or acquiescence, however exclusive or long continued.

§815. Forty years' possession bars action for recovery of land
No real or mixed action for the recovery of lands shall be commenced or maintained against any person in possession thereof, when such person or those under whom he claims have been in actual possession for more than 40 years, claiming to hold them by adverse, open, peaceable, notorious and exclusive possession, in their own right.

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