Legal Definitions - purprise

Purprise is a historical legal term that describes the act of illegally encroaching upon or taking possession of land without permission or legal right. It specifically refers to the unauthorized intrusion onto another's property, often public land or a common area, for private use.

• Imagine a situation where a homeowner decides to expand their backyard by moving their fence several feet beyond their actual property line, extending it into a strip of land that legally belongs to the adjacent municipal park. This action would be an example of purprising, as the homeowner is illegally taking and using public land for their private benefit without any legal authorization.

• Consider a developer constructing a new commercial building. During the construction process, they inadvertently (or intentionally) build a portion of the building's foundation or an access ramp that extends onto a neighboring private lot without obtaining an easement or permission from that lot's owner. This unauthorized intrusion onto the adjacent private property constitutes purprising, as it is an illegal encroachment on land not belonging to the developer.

• A business owner on a busy street decides to place several large, permanent display racks and merchandise stands directly on the public sidewalk in front of their store, effectively blocking a significant portion of the pedestrian walkway. This act of occupying and using public property (the sidewalk) for private commercial purposes, thereby impeding public access, would be an instance of purprising.