The claim of ownership of land by possession that is exclusive, open, hostile, unpermitted and continuous for a statutory period is known as.

• A. Adverse Possession
• B. Lateral Support
• C. Profits a Prendre
• D. Improvements and Betterments

Answer: (A)

Adverse possession is the idea behind this scenario. It means a person can acquire ownership of land by occupying it in a way that is exclusive, open and notorious, hostile (without the owner’s permission), and continuous for a statutory period. Actual possession means physically using the land; exclusive means the possessor treats it as their own, not sharing with the owner or others; open and notorious ensures the possession is visible so the true owner could be aware; hostile means the possession is without permission; and continuous means uninterrupted use for the entire statutory period. The exact duration varies by jurisdiction, and some places may require additional elements like color of title or tax payments, but the core concept is holding the land under these conditions long enough to sever the original owner's title.

Lateral support concerns neighboring land’s obligation to support your land from sliding or falling, Profits a prendre is a right to extract resources from someone else’s property, and Improvements and betterments relate to changes made to the property and how they’re treated upon transfer or termination. None of these describe acquiring land by long-term, qualifying possession the way adverse possession does.