I've been through that. Look up anything you can about the topic "Adverse possession". Basically it states that if you used or occupied a piece of property in plain sight for an extended period of time and your possession or use of that property was never questioned or disputed, then you can make a claim for that property. For example: if you cleared, plowed and farmed a field for years but never had contact with the owner during that time, then suddenly the owner, or a new owner if the property had been recently sold, comes and claims the property, you can dispute that claim. If you have a garage or fence built a foot over the property line and it has been that way for decades and it was never disputed, you can make a claim of possession. It would have to be settled legally, at which point it should be filed legally the same way a deed is filed. The outcome may be a permanent easement, which says that everything stays as it is; no one can dispute the ownership after that.
If you need an attorney you can go thru your county Bar association to get referrals for attorneys who handle land claims. You may have to have legal help to settle it. Arbitration is also an option and is generally cheaper than court costs.
I'm not an attorney, just someone with this type of experience. Hope this helps.
Edey
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