Maine Squatters Rights and Adverse Possession Laws (2026)

Maine imposes one of the longest adverse possession periods in the country: a squatter must occupy land openly and continuously for 20 years before any claim can ripen under Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 801. Property owners who discover an unlawful occupant can remove that person through a forcible entry and detainer (FED) action filed in Maine District Court under tit. 14, ch. 709, § 6001 et seq.

Information last verified on May 27, 2026. This article provides general legal information, not legal advice.

Jurisdiction scope: This article covers squatters rights and adverse possession law in Maine. For a comparison across all 50 states, see the national squatters rights guide.

Adverse Possession in Maine: Period and Elements

The 20-Year Statutory Period

Maine Revised Statutes Title 14, Section 801 bars any action to recover land unless it is brought within 20 years after the right to do so first accrued, except as otherwise provided in that subchapter. The same 20-year clock governs a squatter's affirmative adverse possession claim, and there is no general shorter period available with color of title. The default Section 801 route carries no tax-payment condition, but two other provisions in the same subchapter set out separate paths with their own requirements. Section 816 bars a recovery action for uncultivated lands located in an incorporated place only where the possessor claimed the land under recorded deeds, held exclusive, peaceable, continuous and adverse possession, and paid all taxes assessed on the land throughout the 20 years. Section 815 supplies an independent bar where the possessor, or those under whom the possessor claims, have been in actual possession for more than 40 years under a claim of adverse, open, peaceable, notorious and exclusive right.

Section 805 clarifies that the right of entry accrues when the claimant, or the person under whom the claimant traces title, first became entitled to possession under the title on which the action is founded. Tacking, which combines the possession periods of successive occupants who share privity, is permitted under Maine common law, so long as the chain of possession is unbroken.

Maine also maintains a separate disseisin framework within Title 14 that uses the same 20-year period. A "disseisor" is someone who wrongfully dispossesses the true owner. The disseisin provisions reinforce rather than replace the § 801 limitations period; both point to the same 20-year threshold.

Elements Maine Courts Require

Maine courts apply the standard five-element test. A claimant must demonstrate all of the following for the entire 20-year period:

Actual possession. The squatter must physically occupy and use the land in a way consistent with its character. Clearing brush, farming, fencing, or building a structure can satisfy this element depending on the nature of the parcel.

Open and notorious. The occupation must be visible and obvious: a reasonable owner who inspected the property would notice it. Concealed or hidden use does not qualify.

Exclusive. The squatter cannot share possession with the true owner or the general public. Shared use that resembles the owner's own use of the land defeats this element.

Hostile and adverse. The possession must be without the owner's permission. Any license or consent granted by the owner restarts the clock. Hostility under Maine law does not require malicious intent; it simply means the claimant holds the property as if it were their own, without the owner's authorization.

Continuous. Possession cannot be interrupted. Seasonal use may qualify if it mirrors how the land would normally be used, but abandonment for any significant period breaks continuity and restarts the 20-year clock.

Boundary Mistakes

Section 810-A of Title 14 addresses a specific scenario: a possessor who occupies a strip of land under a mistaken belief about the true boundary line. Under that provision, the mistaken belief does not defeat an otherwise valid adverse possession claim. In other words, a neighbor who inadvertently fences in a portion of adjacent land for 20 years can still prevail even if the encroachment was unintentional.

No Recent Legislative Shortcut

Research of the Maine Legislature's published statutes and session records through May 2026 found no 2024 or 2025 statute creating an expedited or administrative squatter-removal process. Several other states enacted such laws during 2024 and 2025, but Maine did not follow. The forcible entry and detainer procedure under Chapter 709 remains the standard civil remedy available to Maine property owners.

How to Remove a Squatter in Maine

Step 1: Do Not Use Self-Help

Maine law prohibits a property owner from personally removing an occupant by force, changing locks, removing personal property, or cutting off utilities. Section 6014 of Title 14 states that evictions effected without resort to Chapter 709 are illegal and against public policy. The rest of that section sits in the residential landlord-tenant subchapter: its specific prohibitions are written as limits on landlords, and its damages and attorney-fee remedies run to a tenant, so those damages provisions do not clearly reach an occupant who never had a tenancy. An owner who forces a squatter out anyway still risks civil and criminal exposure, and the court process remains the route Maine law provides.

Step 2: Serve a Notice to Quit

Before filing an FED action, the owner should serve written notice demanding that the occupant vacate. Maine does not specify a universal statutory notice period for squatters (as opposed to tenants), but serving a written demand is a prudent first step and creates a documented record that the occupant was aware of the owner's claim.

Step 3: File a Forcible Entry and Detainer Action

Under tit. 14, § 6001, property owners may bring an FED action against disseisors and unlawful occupants in Maine District Court. The owner files a complaint identifying the property, the occupant's name (or "all other occupants" if names are unknown), and the basis for the claim of superior title or right to possession.

Under § 6003, the District Court has jurisdiction of forcible entry and detainer cases, and that is where these actions are brought. Service may be made by standard civil process. If at least three good-faith attempts at personal service on different days fail, service by first-class mail combined with posting at the property is permitted under § 6004.

Step 4: Attend the Hearing

Section 6003 requires the court to schedule the hearing as soon as practicable, and no later than 10 days after the return day unless the court grants a continuance for good cause. The owner must appear and present proof of ownership (deed, title records) and evidence of the unlawful occupation.

The occupant may raise defenses at the hearing, including any claim of adverse possession if the 20-year period has allegedly run. Because adverse possession requires two decades of qualifying possession, this defense is rarely viable unless the squatter has a long history on the property.

Step 5: Obtain and Execute the Writ of Possession

If the court rules for the owner, it issues a writ of possession under § 6005. A law enforcement officer, typically a sheriff or constable, serves the writ and oversees the physical removal of the occupant. The owner should not attempt to enforce the writ independently.

Step 6: Handle Abandoned Personal Property

After the squatter is removed, Maine law addresses unclaimed tenant property under § 6013. Although the statute is written primarily for landlord-tenant contexts, owners should document and store any personal property left behind and provide reasonable notice before disposing of it, to minimize exposure to conversion claims.

Parallel Criminal Options

An unlawful occupant may also be subject to criminal trespass charges under Maine's criminal code if the person remains on property after being told to leave by the owner or a law enforcement officer. Criminal trespass does not replace the civil FED process but can accelerate an occupant's departure through police involvement.

This article provides general legal information about Maine squatters rights and adverse possession laws. It is not legal advice. Laws change, and individual circumstances vary. Consult a licensed Maine attorney for advice about your specific situation.

National squatters rights guide

RecordingLaw.com provides legal information, not legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is formed by reading this page. Consult a qualified Maine attorney for guidance on your specific situation.

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