The Strip You Have Been Mowing
N.J.S.A. 2A:14-30 — 30 years, or 60 for woodlands and uncultivated tracts
In New Jersey, 30 years' actual possession of real estate, or 60 years' actual possession of woodlands or uncultivated tracts, uninterruptedly continued by occupancy, descent, conveyance or otherwise, vests full title in the possessor however the possession began, and bars any action to recover it.
A recorded right or a good faith purchase. Thirty years' actual possession founded on a recorded proprietary right, or obtained by a bona fide purchase from someone in possession who was supposed to have title, bars prior claims not followed by actual possession.
The statute sets the time. What kind of possession counts beyond what the statute itself says comes from New Jersey 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 New Jersey attorney.
Sources for this section (2)
- N.J.S.A. 2A:14-30 — Thirty years' possession of real estate; sixty years for woodlands or uncultivated tracts
- N.J.S.A. 2A:14-31 — Thirty years' actual possession under claim or color of title
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed New Jersey attorney.