In the context of adverse possession, how must land be used to qualify for title acquisition?

For a claim of adverse possession to be valid, the use of the land must be without the permission of the actual owner. This principle is foundational for adverse possession laws, which are designed to allow a person who possesses land for an extended period to gain legal title to that land, assuming certain conditions are met.

The usage must be open and notorious, continuous, hostile, and exclusive—meaning the possessor is treating the land as their own without any consent from the owner. If the land is used with the owner's permission, it does not meet the "hostile" requirement, and therefore, the possessor cannot claim adverse possession.

In the context of adverse possession, using land without the owner's consent effectively demonstrates an assertion of rights over the property, which is a critical component in the legal adjudication of such cases. These principles are applied to encourage the productive use of land and to settle disputes over property ownership more efficiently.