Hawaii makes adverse possession very hard to claim. HRS § 657-31 bars an action to recover land after twenty years, but HRS § 657-31.5 limits any adverse-possession claim accruing after November 7, 1978 to parcels of five acres or less and bars claimants who asserted a similar claim within the prior twenty years.
HRS § 657-31 sets the baseline period: 'No person shall commence an action to recover possession of any lands, or make any entry thereon, unless within twenty years after the right to bring the action first accrued.' HRS § 657-31.5 then sharply restricts modern claims: a person may claim adverse possession only 'if the real property which is the subject of the action is five acres or less' and 'the person claiming by adverse possession has not asserted any similar claim, in good faith, within the past twenty years,' excluding claims made before November 7, 1978. A grandfather clause preserves claims completing twenty years before that date. The possessor must still prove open, notorious, hostile, continuous, and exclusive possession.
No specific statutory penalty. A squatter on a parcel larger than five acres (post-1978) or who recently made a similar claim cannot acquire title; the record owner may recover possession through an ejectment or quiet-title action within the 20-year window.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Waipahu, HI
Waipahu residential pools must be enclosed under ROH Sec. 16-6.2, with companion public-pool standards at 16-7.9 covering apartment complexes and condominium...
Waipahu, HI
Waipahu retaining walls fall under ROH 21-4.40, capping fill-bearing walls in required yards at 6 feet with terraced heights combined, impacting stream-side ...
Waipahu, HI
Waipahu fences follow the LUO fence definition in ROH 21-4.60, allowing wrought iron, wood, vinyl, plastic, and wire on post foundations, with chain-link com...
Waipahu, HI
Waipahu neighbor fence disputes apply ROH 21-4.30 yard setbacks with 21-4.60 height limits, since Hawaii has no dedicated spite fence statute for Waipahu's t...
Waipahu, HI
Public parks in Waipahu, including Waipahu District Park and Hans L'Orange Park, are closed during posted night hours. Entering closed parks is prohibited, t...
Waipahu, HI
Waipahu follows Hawaii state juvenile curfew under HRS 577-16. Children under 16 cannot be in public places between 10 pm and 4 am without a parent or guardian.
See how Waipahu's squatter's rights & adverse possession rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.