In a hotly contested property dispute, the Connecticut Appellate Court recently affirmed the trial court’s holding that Diserio Martin’s client proved ownership of more than a half an acre of property in Greenwich. The Connecticut Supreme Court also declined to review the matter, thereby preserving the client’s victory. The disputed property consists of horse paddocks, stone walls, and a large horse riding ring that was used by a Greenwich family for 30 years before it was sold to the predecessor of Diserio Martin’s client. The client proved ownership of the disputed property by adverse possession, a legal theory under which a person in possession of land owned by someone else may acquire valid title to it, so long as certain legal requirements are met. Notably, the Court also rejected the neighbor’s claim that Connecticut’s adverse possession laws are unconstitutional. Richard E. Castiglioni, Jonathan J. Kelson and Bridgitte E. Mott handled the case.
