Opinion ID: 2328566
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Adverse Possession Issues on Remand

Text: As we cannot resolve the factual disputes regarding the title questions of the properties involved in this case, our holding necessitates a full hearing on the matter below, including the specific facts regarding petitioner's alleged adverse possession of the property. This Court has said, [t]o establish title by adverse possession, the claimant must show possession of the claimed property for the statutory period of 20 years. Such possession must be actual, open, notorious, exclusive, hostile, under claim of title or ownership, and continuous or uninterrupted (alteration added) (footnote omitted). Costello v. Staubitz, 300 Md. 60, 67, 475 A.2d 1185, 1188 (1984). See also East Washington Railway Co. v. Brooke, 244 Md. 287, 294-95, 223 A.2d 599, 603-04 (1966); Blickenstaff v. Bromley, 243 Md. 164, 170, 220 A.2d 558, 561 (1966). One of the central factual questions regarding petitioner's adverse possession on remand (presuming respondent is able to establish its alleged title interest) will be whether petitioner's adverse possession tolled before or after respondent recorded its quitclaim deed from The Bank of New York on April 21, 1997. If the 20 years had not tolled prior to the recording of the quitclaim deed, and respondent acquired title by reason of the quitclaim deed, petitioner could not be able to acquire title to the property by adverse possession because one cannot adversely possess the property of a municipality devoted for public use. See Central Collection Unit v. Atlantic Container Line, Ltd., 277 Md. 626, 629, 356 A.2d 555, 557 (1976); Siejack v. Mayor and City Council of Baltimore, 270 Md. 640, 644, 313 A.2d 843, 846 (1974) (stating, Quite likely nothing is more solidly established than the rule that title to property held by a municipal corporation in its governmental capacity, for a public use, cannot be acquired by adverse possession. Less frequently encountered, however, although apparently as well established, is the notion that municipal property not devoted to a public use can be so acquired. Until now we seem not to have been required to consider whether it should be acknowledged to be the law of Maryland. We think it is and we so hold, but it must not be supposed that our holding goes any further than the case at bar or any other or future case having a similar factual background.) (citations omitted); see also Desch v. Knox, 253 Md. 307, 311-12, 252 A.2d 815, 818 (1969); see also Bond v. Murray, 118 Md. 445, 452-53, 84 A. 655, 658-59 (1912) (holding that property held by a company under a grant from the State cannot be obtained by adverse possession); Hall v. Gittings, 2 H. & J. 112, 114 (1807) (stating, that there is no adversary possession on the part of the defendant which can defeat the right derived from the State). [16] In this case, respondent alleges that its use of the property in question as a community bike path, is a public use. In the alternative, if petitioner had satisfied the requirements of adverse possession of the property before the quitclaim deed was conveyed and recorded by respondent, petitioner would have full title to the property regardless of respondent being a municipality. Once petitioner satisfied the requirements of adverse possession, the previous title owner in respondent's alleged chain of title, The Bank of New York, would have had no interest in the property. See Erdman v. Corse, 87 Md. 506, 510, 40 A. 107, 109 (1898) (holding that a title acquired by adverse possession is good, even though there were serious defects in the paper title). Since The Bank of New York allegedly conveyed the property to respondent via a quitclaim deed, respondent could only have obtained that to which the bank had title. Black's Law Dictionary defines a quitclaim deed as: A deed that conveys a grantor's complete interest or claim in certain real property but that neither warrants nor professes that the title is valid.... 'A quitclaim deed purports to convey only the grantor's present interest in the land, if any, rather than the land itself. Since such a deed purports to convey whatever interest the grantor has at the time, its use excludes any implication that he has good title, or any title at all. Such a deed in no way obligates the grantor. If he has no interest, none will be conveyed. If he acquires an interest after executing the deed, he retains such interest. If, however, the grantor in such deed has complete ownership at the time of executing the deed, the deed is sufficient to pass such ownership.... A seller who knows that his title is bad or who does not know whether his title is good or bad usually uses a quitclaim deed in conveying.' Robert Kratovil, Real Estate Law 49 (6th ed. 1974). Black's Law Dictionary 424 (Bryan A. Garner ed., 7th ed., West 1999). Because of the nature of the quitclaim deed, respondent could only obtain the interest in the property which The Bank of New York had in its possession. In a factual scenario where petitioner has satisfied the requirements of adverse possession before respondent obtained the property, The Bank of New York may have had nothing to convey, therefore the quitclaim deed to respondent may have conveyed, under such circumstances, no interest in that land to respondent. The very nature of these differing scenarios, and the drastically different results dependent on whether respondent had legal title via its alleged chain of title, illustrates the absolute necessity for all of the facts regarding title to be presented in one case. The decision to keep the cases separate was untenable. By denying respondent's motion to consolidate, the trial court abused its discretion.