Article Treasures | Understanding How To Claim Free Land Or Property

For hundreds of years man has claimed free land or property and called it its own. So, it is not a practice which is new and if you go through the pages of a history book, you will find ample examples supporting this fact.

From the pages of history one example that stands out in this regard can be said to be that of the new settlers who came to America. These people came claimed the free land and started building houses and creating farmlands on it.

Coming back to the modern era, it must be stated at this point that there exists countless unused and abandoned plots of land that are lying there unclaimed and unregistered waiting for someone to stake claim on it and put it to use somehow.

Identification of the property can be said to be the first step for you. Since you can't claim anything and everything you see, being selective about your piece of free property and thereafter indulging in a bit of detective work is the best way for you in this.

In your endeavor towards unclaimed property identification you need to be able to identify the sure signs of a plot of property being unused and abandoned. Some of these sure signs are - unused commercial premises or industrial buildings, fields or shrub lands, unused garages, derelicts, overgrown gates and gardens with broken or bordered up windows.

Remember that you will only identify these sure signs if you take a walk around your locality instead of driving about in your car. These signs are not much obvious and you have to be observant while you walk around your neighborhood.

Registration check is the second step after property identification. You need to check with the land registry to see whether the plot of land you have selected is at all registered or not. In essence, the outcome can be any one of the three - Registered, Unregistered or Pending first Application.

In case the status is 'Registered', the implications are many. The case might be that the original owner is no more and his relatives are either non-existent or do not want the said plot of land. It might also be that the property is infact an abandoned plot the owner of which has shifted abroad.

Now, in case it is unregistered, it means it is the still not registered by anybody and hence no owner. This is your best claim bet though it might mean that the owner tracing part will become tough for you.

In the third case, that is, in case it is 'Pending first Application' it basically means that you have lost the race to someone else who has already made a claim on the said land. The best thing to do in this case would be to let go and go after another plot instead.

Once you have checked the registration status of a plot of property, you need to trace its original owner because whenever you go ahead to claim the land, you need to provide proof of your attempts to contact them.

It is helpful to ask the immediate neighbors regarding the owner's information and if it is not much help the one can go ahead and check with local bodies such as the post office, electoral roles, newsagents, landlords, milkman and even the probate registry office in case he is already dead.

Though it is not mandatory to provide any documents to the land registry, it is always better if you maintain an evidence of your claim commencement date. You can do this by drawing up a document and asking two of your friends or colleagues to sign as witnesses.

Put up a 'No Trespassing Allowed' signs or even a mini fence in order to quickly bring to the scene an owner if at all he exists.

Remember, that you can use the land for doing things like holding boot sales or even rent it out in order to make some money during the long waiting period of 10 - 12 years which you have to endure.

Generally people do not like to live beside old, unused derelicts having overgrown gardens and garbage filled ponds where unwanted nocturnal activities might take place. Hence, the immediate neighbors of your chosen piece of land would always come forward to help you in your efforts.

Various kinds of informative materials in the forms of booklets, CDs, websites, etc can be availed in order to know more about the various adverse possession laws and legislations that are in vogue. Usually you also get many websites that carry out the detective work for owner tracing in exchange for a fee.

An individual can use all these above mentioned materials and facilities and use them effectively to get himself a fine plot of land.