Opinion ID: 1827020
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: elements of adverse possession

Text: As their last assignment of error, the Haeckers allege that the Court of Appeals erred in failing to require actual, continuous, exclusive, notorious and adverse possession as a requirement to establish adverse title. We agree that the Court of Appeals failed to recognize that all of the above elements must exist before title may be had by adverse possession. Title cannot be acquired without simultaneous and continuous existence of each element of adverse possession for the required period. Nichol v. Hettinger, 225 Neb. 812, 815, 408 N.W.2d 302, 305 (1987). It is for this reason that we must reverse the judgment of the Court of Appeals and dismiss the Thornburgs' petition. The record clearly shows that not all of the criteria for adverse possession have been established in favor of the Thornburgs. While the Thornburgs were in actual and continuous possession of the disputed property for the statutory period, they failed to meet the requirements of exclusive possession and notorious possession under a claim of ownership. As the element of exclusivity was discussed above, we turn now to the requirement of notorious possession under a claim of ownership. The case of Berglund v. Sisler, 210 Neb. 258, 313 N.W.2d 679 (1981), is controlling. In Berglund, as in this case, none of the parties actually knew where the true boundary line was until the properties were surveyed shortly before the action was initiated. Additionally, as here, the adverse claimants in Berglund demonstrated that their occupation of the land in dispute was not intended to be hostile when they attempted to purchase the property from the record owner. We held that while these factors were not individually determinative on the issue, when they were viewed as a whole it was clear that the claimant lacked the adverse and hostile intent to possess the land. Accordingly, in addition to the exclusivity requirement, the Thornburgs also lacked the required adverse or hostile possession of the disputed property.