According to the head clerk for Boulder District Court and reported by the Camera, 15 adverse possession cases were filed this June in an apparent attempt to file before the new updated law comes into affect.
Of the 25 active adverse-possession lawsuits in Boulder County — where a person or company claims someone else’s land after trespassing on it for at least 18 years — 15 of those cases were filed in June, said Debra Crosser, head clerk of Boulder District Court.
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Crosser said she was surprised by the influx of Boulder-area residents ready to sue their neighbors for land using the previous, less restrictive law.
“It’s not unusual to have a run on a certain case type, but it is unusual to have that many (adverse-possession claims) filed,” Crosser said.
The rate of filing cases is 5x higher than normal.
Sounds like neither Crosser or Clay Evans of the Daily Camera understand people’s motives. In a recent editorial, Clay went so far as suggesting getting along with your neighbors and deciding if it’s really important or not…
We understand that government, including the courts, is responsible for enforcement of the law. But sometimes, you’re better off leaving the G-men out of it.
So next time any of us don’t like what a neighbor is up to, we might consider whether inviting “the authorities” into the spat is really the best next step.
If the answer is, “maybe not,” then we might ask, “Does this really, really matter?”
And if we decide it does, then maybe it’s time to grab a peace offering — a beer, a Coke, some Haagen Dazs, a bunch of flowers — and head next door for a little face time.
It appears they both underestimated the zeal with which some Boulderites will go after their neighbor’s property. Perhaps along with title insurance, “Adverse Possession insurance” should be required at closing.
