Court Opinion

ID: 9514438
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-06 22:49:26.40003+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:06:17.455008
License: Public Domain

SABERS, Justice
(concurring in result).
[¶20] I agree that Pepka established a proper claim to the disputed property by adverse possession. I can not agree that a single act by the adverse holder will never constitute a disclaimer of title as claimed by the majority supra at ¶ 16. In this case, the statutory time period of twenty years ran before Pepka offered to buy or lease the disputed strip. Therefore, her offer to buy or lease had no effect on her adverse possession claim, as title already vested in her. Accordingly, I concur in result only.
[¶ 21] An offer to buy the disputed property, if made before twenty years expires, constitutes a disclaimer of title and terminates the running of the requisite twenty-year holding period. Taylor v. Tripp, 330 N.W.2d 542, 545 (S.D.1983); Bartels v. Anaconda Co., 304 N.W.2d 108, 110 (S.D.1981).
It has been stated that an adverse possessor must “keep his flag flying and present a hostile front to all adverse preten-tions.” Commonwealth v. Bierly, 37 Pa.Super. 496, 504 (1908). Therefore, only acts which signify a permanent occupation of the strip at issue for the requisite time period will convert title by adverse possession. An offer to buy the property from the true owner runs afoul of these principles .... The lowering of the hostile flag broke the required continuity of adverse possession.
Pistner Bros., Inc. v. Agheli, 359 Pa.Super. 177, 518 A.2d 838, 840-41 (1986) (other citations omitted); Van Gorder v. Masterplanned, Inc., 78 N.Y.2d 1106, 578 N.Y.S.2d 126, 585 N.E.2d 375, 376 (1991) (if claimant acknowledges superior title in record owner during statutory ten-year period, it negates an essential element of an adverse possession claim, i.e., possession with a claim of right throughout the time period); Manhattan *325Sch. of Music v. Solow, 175 A.D.2d 106, 571 N.Y.S.2d 958, 960 (N.Y.App.Div.1991) (“An offer made by one in possession without title to purchase from the record owner during the statutory period is a recognition of the record owner’s title and prevents adverse possession from aecruing[.]”) (emphasis added) (citations omitted); accord Guariglia v. Blima Homes, Inc., 224 A.D.2d 388, 637 N.Y.S.2d 769, 771 (N.Y.App.Div.1996).