A man who has taken over an 'abandoned' patch of land has been blocked in after the farmer dumped rotten silage bales outside his caravan.
Neil Parker, a self-confessed 'land pirate' made sure he carried out extensive research before moving to the vacant piece of land, insisting he was perfectly entitled to do so.
As Wales Online reports, Neil, a former doctor from Cardigan, Ceredigion, says he took "adverse possession" of the small patch of land which he considered to have been neglected for years.
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Adverse possession is a legal principle whereby a person who does not have legal title can become the land owner by being in possession of it for long enough to oust the title of the true owner.
Using the Land Registration Act 2002, squatters can claim ownership of land if they can show they've used it for the past 12 years. Mr Park, who is in his 60s, says he made sure the overgrown site on the A487 near Tremain was available.
"I entered the site, having done extensive research including the land registry which showed all the surrounding properties were registered as normal, but this plot, for whatever reason was not," he explained. "Not only was there no evidence of use, but the plot contained one of the worst infestations of Japanese Knotweed I have ever seen."
"You basically have to put yourself on a piece of land and there are various criteria you have to meet according to the Land Registry," Mr Parker explained. "You have to stay on the land for 12 years before you can claim it and you have to use it, you have to secure it, you have to show that you're acting to possess it.
"The point is if you take adverse possession of a piece of land, the only person who can dislodge you is the genuine owner, somebody who has legal ownership as proved by title deeds."
Mr Parker, who previously worked in health services, said there is plenty of land around that has never been registered with the Land Registry and currently has a couple of other sights "on the go."
After moving his caravan onto the site, the neighbouring farmer become disgruntled and claimed ownership, asking Mr Parker to leave immediately. Neil said he would not, and could show evidence of his ownership.
A stand-off has now begun between the pair as the farmer removed Neil's caravan, car and other property. He alleges criminal damage was caused and the farmer also blocked his access by dumping 20 bales of rotten silage in the entrance.
After Mr Parker spent a whole week clearing the bales, the farmer turned up and dumped some more over the fence. Dyfed-Powys Police said it had received a report of theft in the Tremain area on April 6. A spokesman for the force said enquiries are "ongoing".
Mr Parker added: "If they have no proof of ownership, then I don't intend to leave. It seems their interest in this land only seems to have been sparked by my presence."
"It would seem that in the absence of evidence, they seem to think that force and bullying will achieve the desired result." Planning laws mean he can't stay there all the time but he is allowed to stay for 28 days in a calendar year. When he's not at the site, he has a house near Aberaeron.
"I'm going to stay here," he continued. "As far as I'm concerned this is bullying tactics. If the farmer had a legal claim on the land, he could easily get me off. I'm not there to cause trouble, I'm there to make a reasonable claim."
The law states that subject to certain exceptions, 12 years of adverse possession extinguishes the paper owner's legal title. At that point, they lose their right to recover possession of the land. The person in possession acquires possessory title, which can be upgraded to absolute title after a further period of 12 years.
Mr Parker said the site was last used for pigs back in the 1970s but since then it had been left neglected and abandoned. He claimed the farmer told him that they'd never bothered to register the land because it had no value to them.
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