What is the term for when one person completes the adverse possession requirements after another person has begun it?

The term that describes when one person completes the adverse possession requirements after another person has begun it is known as tacking. Tacking allows successive occupants of a property to combine their time periods of possession in order to meet the statutory requirement for adverse possession, which typically involves using the property continuously and without permission from the true owner for a certain period of time.

This concept is important because it acknowledges that rights to property can be acquired through a series of occupants, each contributing to the overall duration of possession. For example, if the first person occupied the land for several years and then a second person continues to use the land without legal permission, the time of both occupants can be added together to fulfill the required duration of adverse possession.

Other terms have different meanings and contexts; for instance, subrogation deals with the substitution of one creditor for another, severance is about separating a joint tenancy into individual interests, and abandonment refers to the act of relinquishing possession or an interest in the property, which does not contribute to the requirements of adverse possession.