Legal Definitions - disseisor

A disseisor is an individual or entity who unlawfully takes control and possession of someone else's real property (such as land or a building) without any legal right to do so. This action deprives the rightful owner of their "freehold possession," meaning their long-term ownership and control of the property. The disseisor essentially acts as if they are the owner, even though their claim is illegitimate.

Here are some examples to illustrate the concept of a disseisor:

• Example 1: The Occupied Vacation Home

  A family owns a vacation home in a rural area that they visit only a few times a year. One year, they arrive to find that someone has broken into the home, changed the locks, moved their own furniture inside, and is now living there permanently. The new occupant refuses to leave, claiming the property as their own. In this scenario, the new occupant is a disseisor because they have wrongfully taken physical possession and control of the vacation home, thereby depriving the rightful owners of their freehold possession without any legal basis.

• Example 2: The Encroaching Neighbor

  Mr. Henderson owns a plot of land adjacent to Ms. Davies' undeveloped property. Without conducting a proper survey or obtaining permission, Mr. Henderson decides to expand his garden by building a new fence and planting trees ten feet beyond his actual property line, effectively incorporating a strip of Ms. Davies' land into his own yard. He then maintains this expanded area as if it were part of his property for several years. Mr. Henderson is acting as a disseisor for that ten-foot strip of land because he has wrongfully taken possession and control of a portion of Ms. Davies' freehold property, treating it as his own.

• Example 3: The Abandoned Warehouse Squatter

  A large, disused warehouse in an industrial district has been vacant for many years. A group of individuals moves into the warehouse, repairs a broken window, installs a makeshift plumbing system, and begins using the space as a living and working area, treating it as their permanent residence. They have no lease or permission from the actual property owner. This group constitutes disseisors because they have unlawfully seized physical control and occupation of the warehouse, thereby depriving the true owner of their freehold possession and the ability to use or manage their property.