Adverse possession in Florida requires 7 years of actual, continued, exclusive possession plus paying all taxes within a year and filing a return with the property appraiser (Fla. Stat. § 95.18). Separately, the 2024 anti-squatter law HB 621 (Fla. Stat. § 82.036) lets owners have a sheriff remove unauthorized occupants within hours, without a lawsuit.
Under § 95.18, a person claiming title without a written instrument must hold 'actual continued possession of real property for 7 years under a claim of title exclusive of any other right,' pay all outstanding taxes within 1 year of entering possession, keep paying taxes, and file an adverse-possession return with the county property appraiser within 30 days; the property must be enclosed or 'cultivated, maintained, or improved in a usual manner.' The return 'does not create any interest enforceable by law.' HB 621 (effective July 1, 2024) created § 82.036: an owner or agent files a verified complaint and the sheriff 'shall, without delay, serve a notice to immediately vacate' on unlawful occupants who are not current or former tenants or family.
Under § 82.036, removed occupants who are actually lawful may sue for wrongful removal and recover actual damages, triple the fair market rent, costs, and fees. Squatters who present fraudulent documents face a first-degree misdemeanor, and those who intentionally cause $1,000 or more in damage face a second-degree felony.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Hialeah, FL
Hialeah follows Miami-Dade Code §33-124.1 for commercial-vehicle parking in residential zones: Cat. 1 (taxis/marked vans under 8 ft): max 2 per home; Cat. 2 ...
Hialeah, FL
Hialeah driveways follow county standards: 20 feet minimum for two-way, 14 feet for one-way. Vehicles must not block sidewalks or rights-of-way.
Hialeah, FL
Hialeah allows chain link, concrete block, wood, and aluminum per Section 33-11. All must meet HVHZ wind standards. Concrete block most common in South Florida.
Hialeah, FL
Hialeah requires building permits for retaining walls per the Florida Building Code. Walls over 4 feet in height require engineered plans. All retaining wall...
Hialeah, FL
Dogs in Hialeah must be leashed off private property under Miami-Dade Section 5-20. Unsterilized: $150 fine. Sterilized: $50. Off-leash in designated parks o...
Hialeah, FL
Hialeah enforces the Florida Building Code Residential Section R314 and NFPA 72 for smoke alarms. Alarms are required in every sleeping room, outside sleepin...
See how Hialeah's squatter's rights & adverse possession rules stack up against other locations.
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