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ย ย In an effort to mitigate the ongoing misuse of the state's adverse possession law, Hernando County Property Appraisers Office will now be working closely with Hernando County Sheriff's Office to issue written warnings to anyone filing claims to properties within the county.
ย ย It is our office's duty to protect the interest of legitimate property owners, as well as unsuspecting citizens who may be duped into moving into a home illegally. We hope this warning letter will make it clear there are serious legal ramifications for those attempting to use our state's adverse possession law under false pretenses.
ย As a result of this continuing problem, we are now issuing a written "Fraud Alert" to any individual filing an adverse possession claim at either of our offices. The Fraud Alert letter can be viewed at the link below.
ย ย The one-page warning letter is issued in cooperation with the Sheriff's Office. The notice clearly states that even though an individual is allowed to file an adverse possession claim on a property, occupying that property may mean that they are trespassing, possibly breaking and entering and potentially subject to being arrested and charged with a crime in accordance with Florida Law.
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ย In addition, our office will now be forwarding all adverse possession claims to the Sheriff's Office for its records and potential action.
