Adverse use describes the process by which a person can illegitimately obtain the title to a property without the consent or permission of the property owner. A person typically obtains title through adverse possession. This might mean that a person makes use of a part of a property that is adjacent to his own property. In extreme circumstances, you might think of a squatter who takes over an abandoned home for a certain period of time. These things typically happen to properties that have been owned by the same person for a long time. Adverse use is important for its implications on adverse possession law. In some cases, a person who has had open adverse use of a property can claim limited rights to that property. This is only true in limited circumstances, though. Typically, adverse use is illegal, and property owners can remedy the situation in the courts.
