Legal Question in Real Estate Law in Wisconsin

Re: proprty next door

No, what you are talking about is Adverse Possession.

If you really want to know all about it type in "Wisconsin Adverse Possession" into Google and hundreds of articles will come up dealing with it.

Otherwise look at Wisconsin Statute 893.25 which explains the process.

Adverse Possession basically works that it has to be open and notoriously. The other party has to know that you are using and maintaining that piece of land as if it is your own, and they have to, constructively at least, know it is their property.

There is also a time requirement for this- It is 20 years of uninterrupted possession.

Good luck with it, but I do not think that these types of cases are very often successful. They generally arise with easements and points of access that people have been using for very long periods of time. I suppose if you continue to maintain that portion of land for another 19 years give an attorney a call and commence an action to get title to that property.