My husband and I just recently bought some property across from our home in Illinois. My neighbors want to try to claim squatters rights against it. It is 1/2 acre that is next to their land. They have been mowing it for several years, along with storing hay and a couple horse trailers on it off and on. This land has had leans against it until last year, when they ran out. This is why we waited to buy it-so we could get a warranty deed and not a quick claims deed. Our neighbors have never paid any taxes on this land. Do they have any rights to the land since we recently took ownership of it? We bought this land from a lawyer and we are wondering if we need to get our own lawyer involved in case this would happen to go to court. Can anyone suggest anything? Thanks.

According to the info I was able to find, in Illinois they would have to occupy the property continuously for 20 years in order to have any kind of claim. (If they had been paying taxes, or if they claimed someone had sold it to them then the time would be 7 years.)

I suggest that you speak to a real estate attorney and also arrange to have a fence put up asap.

OK, silly system is not allowing me to post,

But best bet, have it surveyed, put up a fence and after they try to hire an attorney they will find out they are wrong