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.
St. Petersburg, FL
Industrial and commercial operations in St. Petersburg must meet the Chapter 11 plainly-audible standards at zoning boundaries, with stricter limits where in...
St. Petersburg, FL
St. Petersburg restricts leaf blower use to 8 a.m.-8 p.m. weekdays and Saturday and 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sundays and holidays, and prohibits blowing yard debris in...
St. Petersburg, FL
Loud exhausts, modified mufflers, and car stereos audible at 25 feet or more are prohibited under FL 316.272 (state law) and St. Petersburg Code Chapter 11. ...
St. Petersburg, FL
St. Petersburg restricts amplified music and vehicle stereos under Chapter 11, banning sound plainly audible 50 feet from a vehicle and tightening downtown e...
St. Petersburg, FL
St. Petersburg enforces quiet hours from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. under Chapter 11, with 'plainly audible' distance standards rather than decibel readings for resid...
St. Petersburg, FL
St. Petersburg enforces Florida Building Code Section 424.2.17 and Florida Statute Chapter 515 requiring 4-foot pool barriers, self-latching gates, and appro...
See how St. Petersburg's squatter's rights & adverse possession rules stack up against other locations.
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