Opinion ID: 2262998
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: One Claim or Two?

Text: [¶ 17] Ferland argues that the court should not have relied on 14 M.R.S. § 810-A because Dombkowski failed to make a statutory claim of adverse possession because there are no references in his complaint to the statute. Thus, he contends that the court erred in applying the statute. He argues that this is a common law claim only and that section 810-A does not apply to common law claims for adverse possession. [¶ 18] Ferland relies on language in dictum from Striefel to support his argument that section 810-A does not apply to a common law claim. In a footnote in that case, we stated, [s]ince we apply the common law doctrine of adverse possession in the present case, we need not apply the statutory provisions or further address ... section 810-A. 1999 ME 111, ¶ 15 n. 9, 733 A.2d at 993. Ferland misapprehends this statement as meaning that there are two distinct claims for adverse possession. In fact, we did not need to apply section 810-A in Striefel because there was no indication in the record that the adverse claimants possessed and used the parcel under a mistaken assumption of ownership. Thus, the statute was not necessary to the decision. [¶ 19] Although we recognize that statements in our opinions may have allowed the inference that there are two separate claims for adverse possession, see id. ¶ 5, 733 A.2d at 989 (stating that title in real property by adverse possession may be established either under the common law or pursuant to statutory provisions), there is only one claimthe common law claim as amended by the Legislature. The Legislature expressed its intent to change only one part of the common law with this provision. See L.D. 1076, Statement of Fact (116th Legis.1993). Therefore, section 810-A amends the common law claim for adverse possession, and the court did not err in applying it here.