In D.C., adverse possession requires 15 years of open, continuous, hostile possession, matching the 15-year limitations period to recover land under D.C. Code § 12-301(a)(1). Section 16-1113 offers an alternative tax-payment path for vacant land. Squatters without that history are removed through the courts, not self-help.
D.C. Code § 12-301(a)(1) bars an action 'for the recovery of lands, tenements, or hereditaments' after 15 years, so a person who possesses property openly, notoriously, exclusively, continuously, and adversely for 15 years can claim title by adverse possession. For vacant, unimproved land, § 16-1113 provides an alternative where a claimant who was assessed for the property, paid the taxes, and 'exercised control over the property for a period of fifteen years before the bringing of the action' satisfies the possession requirement without proof of enclosure. A squatter who lacks a colorable claim is an unlawful occupant; the owner must use the courts — not self-help — to recover possession.
No specific statutory penalty for adverse possession itself; an owner who fails to act within 15 years can lose title, while unlawful occupants who damage property or refuse to leave may face civil ejectment and criminal trespass charges.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Washington, DC
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Washington, DC
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Washington, DC
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Washington, DC
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