How can I acquire ownership of land?

Questioner

I have a house where the driveway and garage are on land of someone who has been dead for a long time. I simply bought the garage and the house. I know that this was also purchased in this way in 1978 by my parents. How can I get ownership of this land.

Lawyer

It seems that something went wrong with the purchase of the garage plus driveway? Are there any heirs who are now holding you accountable for the use? Was a deed drawn up at the time and do you still have it? The deed could still be registered in the land registry.

Questioner

In 1978 my parents bought this house with garage and driveway. In 2006 I took over this house. Now it turns out that the driveway and part of the garage are not on private land. The man who owned this land probably died about 50 years ago and no one has ever claimed it. It is also land that no one has any use for, but if I am going to sell my house I would like to have this arranged properly.

Lawyer

Your parents did not buy land and its appurtenances in good faith if the information you are now providing was also clear at the time. Usually cadastral research. The latter of course also applies to the selling party. Now that no one is appealing to the ownership, the boundary of the property could be redetermined. There is then a case of prescription, possibly also under old law, in any case on 2012 under new law, whereby you still obtain ownership.