Legal Question in Real Estate Law in Oregon

Re: Property line, easements

You have an adverse possession question on your hands. The twist is the public usage character of the property in question. The basic rule of adverse possession is that you become the "owner" of property if you use it openly, continuously and under the belief it is owned by you for a period of more than 10 years. There are a lot of subtleties in this area, so it is by no means a slam dunk, but is sounds from the facts you have disclosed that you have an argument that you obtained ownership of the parcel you have described. The public usage question complicates the inquiry and needs to be explored. Of course, there are two sides to every story and your adverse possession claim would have to be established in court if your neighbor and/or a governmental entity disputes it. Likewise, even if the government itself makes no claim, it is unlikely a government authority will accept your ownership claim without either an instrument of conveyance (such as a deed) or a judgment.

I hope that begins to answer your question. Feel free to contact my office should you wish to go any further with this. Beware these matters can become complicated and expensive.