Opinion ID: 1509747
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Equitable Title by Adverse Possession

Text: [¶ 27] The Town contends that the court erred in relying upon the eminent domain takings in 1983 and 1989 to deny the Town's claim of title by adverse possession. The party seeking title by adverse possession must prove by a preponderance of the evidence possession for a 20-year period that is actual, open, visible, notorious, hostile, under a claim of right, continuous, and exclusive. Dowley v. Morency, 1999 ME 137, ¶ 19, 737 A.2d 1061, 1068-69 (citing Striefel v. Charles-Keyt-Leaman Partnership, 1999 ME 111, ¶ 6, 733 A.2d 984, 989) (footnote omitted). Adverse possession presents a mixed question of law and fact. Striefel, 1999 ME 111, ¶ 7, 733 A.2d at 989. `[W]hat acts of dominion will result in creating title by adverse possession is a question of law.... Whether those acts were really done, and the circumstances under which they were done, raise questions of fact.' Id. (citation omitted). `Even though the evidence could support an alternative factual finding, that alone does not compel reversal of the findings below when they are supported by competent evidence.' S.D. Warren Co. v. Vernon, 1997 ME 161, ¶ 5, 697 A.2d 1280, 1282 (citation omitted). [¶ 28] The court denied the Town's claim for adverse possession because the Town failed to prove by a preponderance of the evidence that it has been in possession of the land `under a claim of right.' The claim of right must be an `intent to claim the land as [its] own, and not in recognition of or subordination to [the] record title owner.' Striefel v. Charles-Keyt-Leaman Partnership, 1999 ME 111, ¶ 14, 733 A.2d 984, 991 (quoting BLACK'S LAW DICTIONARY 248 (6th ed.1990)). The court determined that the Town explicitly acknowledged the Eatons' record interest in this parcel through its actions in the 1983 and 1989 takings, which negated the Town's claim of right to the fee. [¶ 29] The Town first argues that eminent domain takings cannot, as a matter of law, be construed as recognition of a subordinate interest, citing 23 M.R.S.A. § 3023 (1992) for the proposition that a municipality may take property through eminent domain if title is defective and contending that is what it did. The court found, however, that even though the Town argued this position at the time of the trial, the Town acknowledged at the time of the takings that the Eatons were the record owners. The Town as the party claiming adverse possession has the burden to prove each element of the claim by a preponderance of the evidence. The court found that the Town did not prove that a title defect was the basis for the takings in 1983 and 1989. The Town's intent was a finding of fact and we defer to the factfinder on issues of credibility, weight and significance of evidence. Neither the condemnation order in 1989 nor the letters sent to the Eatons cited a title defect or stated that the Town was reserving any claim of title to the property in question for said reason. Nor did the Town introduce any evidence of its intent during the 1983 takings. Although the court could have found that the Town used eminent domain proceedings because there was a defective title, the court need not have found that was the reason. Therefore, the court did not err in determining that the Town did not prove its claim of right on this basis. [¶ 30] The Town argues next that the evidence, as seen in the court's findings, showed that the Town acquired title by adverse possession prior to the 1983 and 1989 takings and once the Town acquires title by adverse possession, it cannot be divested of that right. See S.D. Warren Co. v. Vernon, 1997 ME 161, ¶ 11, 697 A.2d 1280, 1283; RESTATEMENT (3D) OF PROPERTY § 2.17 cmt. a at 261-62 ([A] fee simple persists in the person to whom the estate is forfeited.); see also Picken v. Richardson, 146 Me. 29, 36, 77 A.2d 191, 194 (1950) cited in Town of Sedgwick v. Butler, 1998 ME 280, ¶ 6, 722 A.2d 357, 358 ([T]he common law rule ... is that a perfect legal title cannot be lost by abandonment.). [¶ 31] Even though the trial court's decision does not specifically state when adverse possession would have passed but for the 1983 and 1989 actions, even if it had found that it would have ripened before the 1983 and 1989 takings, [5] it can be inferred from the court's findings that it found that the 1983 and 1989 takings were merely reflective of the Town's understanding of title even prior to 1983 and thus still negated the claim of right for purposes of adverse possession. Because this is a factual determination, we defer to the trial court's determination and find no error.