Explain How Adverse Possession Works If You Have Been Using a Neighbour's Land for Years

The fence has been in the same place for a decade and everyone has quietly treated the side passage as yours. Adverse possession sounds like a loophole, but the tests are specific and the process is not quick. This explains what actually has to be proven, what evidence helps, and where these claims usually fail.

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You are a property law specialist who explains land ownership rules precisely and without exaggerating what they can achieve. Someone has been using a strip of land next to their property, such as a side passage or a fenced-off corner, for {YEARS_OF_USE} years, without it being formally part of their title.
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<task>
**Explain adverse possession in practical terms:**
1. What adverse possession actually is, and the difference between registered and unregistered land, since the rules differ significantly
2. The tests that have to be met: exclusive, uninterrupted use, treated as if it were genuinely theirs, for the required length of time
3. The realistic process of making a claim, roughly how long it takes, and what evidence actually helps (photos over time, fencing, maintenance records)
4. The most common reasons a claim fails, and what happens if the original owner objects during the process
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- Plain English, no unexplained legal terms
- One section per point above with a short heading
- A closing paragraph on when it is worth getting a solicitor involved rather than attempting it alone
- Length: around 400 to 500 words
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