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<p class="MsoNormal">It sounds as though the elements of adverse possession may have been satisfied for the requisite 10 year period. That said, the process of having the property line revised and claiming the adversely possessed area is likely not worth the
cost of the disputed area. I have found that adverse possession cases are highly fact-specific and judges are reluctant to grant summary judgment, even under what you might think are the clearest of circumstances. As a result, the parties end up spending
tens of thousands of dollars to litigate, go through discovery, and typically settle in mediation. I would encourage the PC to try and work with his neighbor to reach a resolution. Maybe PC will be more inclined to cooperate if the neighbor bears the cost
of making the modifications and re-installs the electrical outlets?<o:p></o:p></p>
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<b><span style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:#203864">Inge A. Fordham | Attorney</span></b><b><span style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:3.0pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:black">Fordham Law, PLLC<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">From: </span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><wsbarp-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com> on behalf of "Samuel M. Meyler" <samuel@meylerlegal.com><br>
<b>Reply-To: </b>WSBA Real Property Listserv <wsbarp@lists.wsbarppt.com><br>
<b>Date: </b>Tuesday, April 27, 2021 at 11:27 AM<br>
<b>To: </b>"wsbarp@lists.wsbarppt.com" <wsbarp@lists.wsbarppt.com><br>
<b>Subject: </b>[WSBARP] Adverse Possession Claim?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Listmates,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">PC has a not-so-friendly neighbor and they have a shared garage that straddles their property line. The properties previously had common ownership and were subdivided. The interior of the garage was previously open but there were/are
separate garage doors for each owner’s “side.” Over ten years ago, the not-so-friendly neighbor built wall in the garage where he thought the boundary was, poured a concrete floor on his side of the wall and removed some electrical outlets from PC’s side
of the garage that were wired from the neighbor’s side. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Recently PC had a fence installed on the property line and the survey showed that the neighbor constructed the interior wall of the garage approximately one foot into his own property, giving PC an extra foot of space in PC’s part of the
garage. The wall and concrete floor have stood unaltered and each party used their respective sides as their own for over a decade. Neighbor is now threatening to tear down the wall and rebuild on the surveyed property line.
<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Ultimately, we are probably talking about 15 square feet of space in the garage and I am hoping that the parties will be pragmatic about the situation, but we all know how neighborly disputes can get.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">What are your views on an adverse possession claim with this set of facts? Alternatively theories? TIA<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sam<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:blue"> </span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:blue">Samuel M. Meyler</span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:blue">Meyler Legal, PLLC </span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:blue">1700 Westlake Ave. N., Ste. 200</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:blue">Seattle, Washington 98109</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:blue">Tel:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:blue"> 206.876.7770</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:blue">Fax:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:blue"> 206.876.7771</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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