An owner may stop another person from gaining adverse possession over her land by:

• A. Maintaining exclusive possession
• B. Granting a license for use
• C. Providing public access
• D. Allowing continued open and notorious use by others

Answer: (A)

The important concept is that adverse possession requires someone to possess property in a way that is actual, open, notorious, exclusive, and hostile for a statutory period. By maintaining exclusive possession, the owner keeps others from using the land in a manner that could qualify as adverse possession. When the owner continuously and exclusively uses and controls the property, there isn’t the kind of ongoing, open, and hostile occupancy by another party that adverse possession requires. Granting a license would give permission to use the land, which negates the “hostile” and “exclusive” elements the possessor must prove, and allowing public access or open use by others would expose the land to occupancy that could help a potential claimant rather than stop it. So, keeping exclusive possession is the way to prevent an adverse possession claim.