UCP hopes to eliminate 'squatters rights' in Alberta
CTV
Alberta's UCP government wants to get rid of the province's so-called "squatter's rights."
Alberta's UCP government wants to get rid of the province's so-called "squatter's rights."
Minister of Justice Tyler Shandro announced the Property Rights Statutes Amendment Act, 2022, on Monday.
If passed, the bill would amend the Law of Property Act, the Land Titles Act and the Limitations Act, eliminating Alberta's adverse possession laws.
Currently, the laws allow a person who has occupied another person’s land for 10 years to claim ownership of that land. Claims can only be made against private landowners; public land, municipal land and irrigation districts are exempted.
"This is not the first time that a bill has been introduced in Alberta's legislature to abolish adverse possession," Shandro said Monday. "There have been previous attempts to make this change through private members bills, but none of them have been successful."
"I hope this time will be different, because Albertans have been saying that they want this change for over a decade."
Adverse possession laws have often been used in land disputes in rural areas, where property lines may be unclear.
