Can someone who breaks into a house claim possession?

foreclosure noticeA burglar is Cincinnati is trying to claim possession of the homes he is burglarizing!

A man has been breaking into abandon properties and then filing legal papers claiming that since no one is living there that he has the right to take possession of the abandon homes and call them his own.  While the actual claim documents have not been made public rest assured that his claims seem to have little to no legal merit. What he is doing is as close to stealing a home as you canget

Can I break into a house and claim it for myself?

The answer is absolutely not! To claim ownership of a property you have to have an interest in it – you have to to either be listed on the deed, own a loan (bank) secured by the property (mortgage) or have the property legally transferred to you by the owner.  You can not just write up a paper and say ‘its mine’ as the person in this news story is trying to do.

Can I take ownership of property without paying for it?

There is a way to take an interest position on property without paying for it. It is called adverse possession, and in Ohio it takes 21 years! If you want a piece of property you have to be an OCEAN owner: Open, Continuous, Exclusive, Adverse and Notorious. Not a likely scenario in a neighborhood, especially in a foreclosed home that the bank is going to try and sell.

What happens if someone tries to posses my home like this?

The best thing to do is call the police and a lawyer!

If you need a real estate attorney or are interested in selling you home the right way – call me! I would love to help you sell your home: 513.518.1140

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