The Strip You Have Been Mowing
Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 5-103 — 20 years to sue for or enter on land
In Maryland, an action to recover possession of a freehold or leasehold estate in land is filed, or the land is entered, within 20 years from the date the cause of action accrues.
Easements by use. The section does not affect the common law doctrine of prescription for interests in land created by adverse use.
The statute sets the time. What kind of possession counts beyond what the statute itself says comes from Maryland court decisions, which this page does not quote. Whether a particular strip of land has changed hands, and how to bring or answer an action over it, are questions for a licensed Maryland attorney.
Sources for this section (1)
- Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 5-103 — Recovery of possession of land
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Maryland attorney.