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--></style></head><body lang="EN-US" link="blue" vlink="purple" style="word-wrap:break-word"><div class="WordSection1"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">This is what Google’s AI says (I’d double check the cites):</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#001d35">Federal law preempts adverse possession claims against railroad rights of way. This is because Congress intends to maintain the national railway network, and allowing adverse possession claims could put rail carriers at risk of losing land they need to operate. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#001d35"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#001d35">Some cases that support this conclusion include:</span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:6.0pt;margin-left:0in;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:6.0pt;margin-left:0in;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#001d35">Norfolk S. Ry. Co. v. Dille Rd. Recycling, LLC</span></b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#001d35">: This case determined that federal law preempts adverse possession claims. </span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:6.0pt;margin-left:0in;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;color:#001d35"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#001d35">Skidmore v. Norfolk S. Ry. Co.</span></b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#001d35"> This case determined that the Termination Act preempts adverse possession claims against railroad rights of way. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:0in;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;color:#001d35"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#001d35">Northern Pacific Railway Co. v. Ely</span></b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#001d35">: This case determined that individuals cannot acquire land by adverse possession for private purposes. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#001d35">A railroad right of way is a physical right-of-way that includes the routes taken by a railroad. </span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d"> </span></p><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:#4c76a2"> </span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><b><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:#4c76a2">Mark C. McClure</span></b><b><span style="font-size:24.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:#4c76a2"> </span></b><b><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:#4c76a2">| </span></b><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:#4c76a2">Managing Attorney <br></span></i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:navy">Law Office of Mark McClure, PS<b> <br></b><i>"Why Retire With Debt?"<br></i>1103 West Meeker Street, #101<br>Kent, WA 98032</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:#1d2228"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:navy">Office: 253.631.6484 (Leave Msg - Will be returned within 24 hours)<br></span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:#003399">Email: <a href="mailto:Mark@McClureLawGroup.com" target="_blank"><span style="color:purple">Mark@McClureLawGroup.com</span></a><br>Web: <a href="http://www.mcclurelawgroup.com/">www.McClureLawGroup.com</a> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in;background:white"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">Notice of Unavailability:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:#1f497d"> </span><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:red"> </span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in;background:white"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:red">All Mondays (out of office)</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in;background:white"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:red">December 24, 2024 – January 1, 2025</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:#1d2228"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:#c0504d">**NOTE** All visits must be scheduled in advance for access to the building. Call </span></b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:#c0504d">253-631-6484 <b> to schedule.</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:navy">CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:navy"> </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:#1c1e21;background:#f2f3f5">This email contains legal stuff. If you are not the intended recipient you could get into a lot of trouble if you read it, and even more trouble if you tell someone else about it. So, the best thing to do is ignore it and forget you ever saw it. Thank you.</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:navy"> </span></p></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d"> </span></p><div><div style="border:none;border-top:solid #b5c4df 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in"><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif""> <a href="mailto:wsbarp-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com">wsbarp-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com</a> [mailto:<a href="mailto:wsbarp-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com">wsbarp-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com</a>] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Rod Harmon<br><b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, January 7, 2025 12:12 PM<br><b>To:</b> WSBA Real Property Listserv<br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [WSBARP] Adverse possession against Railroad</span></p></div></div><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black">“State-owned land is statutorily protected from claims of <span style="border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in;background:white">adverse</span> <span style="border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in;background:white">possession</span>. Under <span style="border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in;background:white">RCW 4.16.160</span>, the statute of limitations for <span style="border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in;background:white">adverse</span> <span style="border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in;background:white">possession</span> will not run against the State or city acting in its <span style="border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in;background:white">governmental</span> capacity.</span><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#212121">” <i><span style="border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">Gorman v. City of Woodinville</span></i></span><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black">, 175 Wn.2d 68, ¶ 6 (2012). I don’t see similar protection for a railroad. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> </span></p><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">Rod Harmon</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d"> </span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">RODNEY T. HARMON</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1f497d"> Attorney at Law</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1f497d"> P.O. Box 1066</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1f497d"> Bothell, WA 98041</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1f497d"> Tel: (425) 402-7800</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1f497d"> Fax: (425) 458-9096</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1f497d"> <a href="http://www.rodharmon.com/"><span style="color:#0563c1">www.rodharmon.com</span></a></span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1f497d"> <a href="mailto:rodharmon@msn.com"><span style="color:#0563c1">rodharmon@msn.com</span></a></span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""></span></p></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> </span></p><div><div style="border:none;border-top:solid #e1e1e1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in"><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""> <a href="mailto:wsbarp-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com">wsbarp-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com</a> <<a href="mailto:wsbarp-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com">wsbarp-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com</a>> <b>On Behalf Of </b>Craig Gourley<br><b>Sent:</b> Monday, January 6, 2025 9:18 PM<br><b>To:</b> WSBA Real Property Listserv <<a href="mailto:wsbarp@lists.wsbarppt.com">wsbarp@lists.wsbarppt.com</a>><br><b>Subject:</b> [WSBARP] Adverse possession against Railroad</span></p></div></div><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><div><p class="MsoNormal">Listmates. I fat fingered and accidentally hit send. </p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"> </p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal">My gut feeling is that one cannot adversely possess against a railroad. Anyone have authority confirming or overriding my substantial gut?⁵ thanks!</p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"> </p></div><div id="ms-outlook-mobile-signature"><div><p class="MsoNormal"> </p></div><p class="MsoNormal">Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone<br>Get <a href="https://aka.ms/AAb9ysg">Outlook for Android</a></p></div></div></body></html>