what is the law on homesteading a abandent house?

Question

i have found a house that has been vacant for over 8 months it needs work but is liveable now . how long and how many improvements must be done until i can file to take owner ship. I live in salt lake city

Answer 1

homesteading doesnt apply here..trespassing does..

Answer 2

Legally, it is called "adverse possession." Most states traditionally required 20 years of continuous occupancy. Many states have shortened the period to 7 years of continuous occupancy. By the way, if the real owner comes around, you cannot hide the fact you are staying there. Your occupancy must be "open and notorious," which means the owner must be able to see you are staying there. Otherwise, you don't qualify.

The law wasn't developed to help people to find free homes. It was developed to force landowners to take care of their properties. Also by the way, it would be a miracle if you stayed there for 7 years without being caught and either arrested or sued in civil court.

Answer 3

The original intent of homesteading was when the US government wanted folks to move out west so they provided for protection on government lands to people who were given those lands if they followed certain rules. Homestead has evolved as a means by which the government provides for a certain amount of the value of the property (principal residence) to be protected from creditors. A better explanation and description of what each state allows relating to homestead can be found here

Homestead Laws explanation and each state’s money limits
http://law.jrank.org/pages/11867/Homestead.html

Occupying the property as you suggested can indeed, as one of the answerers said, be considered tresspass, if on the other hand no one complaints and you open and notoriously occupy the property of others, pay taxes and meet all the requirements of Utah's law of adverse possession then after the required # of years you would have a claim to ownership of the property under adverse possession.

Answer 4

The real owner can return many years later to claim it and you will be out all the $$$$ for improvements .
Go to the county tax office ,
Contact the owner and make an offer .
Better than pumping in repair $$$$ and loosing it all in a couple of years .

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Answer 5

What you are trying to do is not homesteading it is called "squatting "

Squatting is the act of occupying an abandoned or unoccupied space or building that the squatter does not own, rent or otherwise have permission to use. Squatting is significantly more common in urban areas than rural areas, especially when urban decay occurs.

Answer 6

-deleted-

Others have supplied much better answers.