Oregon Common Law Adverse Possession

Oregon Adverse Possession

This is Part 2 in a three-part series on adverse possession in Oregon. Part 1 was a general overview regarding your risks of losing part or all of your property via adverse possession. Part 2 is on Oregon common law adverse possession. Part 3 is on Oregon statutory adverse possession law.

Adverse possession is a long-established legal doctrine dating back centuries, which has evolved from common law adverse possession to statutory adverse possession. The doctrine of adverse possession in Oregon allows a person to obtain property rights/ownership over real property after proving their case in court.

Although statutory adverse possession has existed in Oregon since January 1, 1990, common law adverse possession is still relevant and comes up often, especially with larger swaths of rural properties and long held family estates. One of the main reasons someone might rely on common law adverse possession is that it's generally easier to