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Supreme Court decision on the qualifying period for adverse possession (Brown v Ridley)

Published on: 06 May 2025

Table of contents

  • What are the practical implications of this case?
  • What was the background?
  • What did the court decide?
  • Case details

Article summary

Property Disputes analysis: In a leapfrog appeal from the Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber) the Supreme Court has interpreted paragraph 5(4)(c) of Schedule 6 to the Land Registration Act 2002 (LRA 2002) to require that an applicant for registration of title to land on the basis of adverse possession must only demonstrate that they held a reasonable belief that the land in question belonged to them during some (any) continuous ten-year period of their possession arising before the date the application was made. The decision of the Court of Appeal in Zarb v Parry was wrong in assuming a different construction of the statute which was unworkable in requiring the applicant to demonstrate a period of reasonable belief that ended on the very date the application was made. Written by Tiffany Scott KC, barrister at Wilberforce Chambers.

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