Legal Question in Real Estate Law in Minnesota

Adverse possession is the name given to using a piece of land in an open, notorious, hostile and exclusive manner for (in Minnesota) 15 years or longer. (General description)

If you do that, you are the owner.

But the paper records in the court house will not show your ownership; you need to bring a lawsuit and have a judge determine that you have fulfilled the requirements. Then you record that judgment in the real estate records.

I suppose you can do your own lawsuit, but it would probably go better to have an attorney help you.