Devins v. Borough of Bogota

592 A.2d 199 (1991)

Study Aids
Case Briefs Overview
Casebooks
Case Briefs
D
From our private database of 46,300+ case briefs, written and edited by humans—never with AI.

Devins v. Borough of Bogota

New Jersey Supreme Court
592 A.2d 199 (1991)

JL

Facts

Devins (plaintiff) purchased three lots from James and Jeanette Geraghty in 1965. The lots included 11 and 11A, where a single-family residence was located, and Lot 10, a 25-by-100-foot lot that contained a barbeque pit. The Geraghtys had obtained the title to Lot 10 by quitclaim deed in 1958. A single chain-link fence surrounded all three lots. However, in 1962, the Borough of Bogota (defendant) had acquired title to Lot 10 through an in-rem foreclosure. After buying the lots in 1965, Devins used Lot 10 for parking, cookouts, lounging, and other recreational purposes. Devins also installed a basketball backboard, erected a shed, mowed the grass, and paved a portion of Lot 10 to provide additional parking. In 1985, Devins sent a letter to Bogota, seeking a concession of title to Lot 10 as a result of adverse possession. Bogota refused, and Devins sued Bogota, alleging adverse possession. The trial court determined that Devins had established the elements of adverse possession but decided that adverse possession was not available against a municipality. The court of appeals affirmed, and Devins petitioned the New Jersey Supreme Court for review.

Rule of Law

Issue

Holding and Reasoning (Pollock, J.)

What to do next…

  1. Unlock this case brief with a free (no-commitment) trial membership of Quimbee.

    You’ll be in good company: Quimbee is one of the most widely used and trusted sites for law students, serving more than 810,000 law students since 2011. Some law schools—such as Yale, Berkeley, and Northwestern—even subscribe directly to Quimbee for all their law students.

    Unlock this case briefRead our student testimonials

  2. Learn more about Quimbee’s unique (and proven) approach to achieving great grades at law school.

    Quimbee is a company hell-bent on one thing: helping you get an “A” in every course you take in law school, so you can graduate at the top of your class and get a high-paying law job. We’re not just a study aid for law students; we’re the study aid for law students.

    Learn about our approachRead more about Quimbee

Here's why 810,000 law students have relied on our case briefs:

  • Written by law professors and practitioners, not other law students. 46,300 briefs, keyed to 988 casebooks. Top-notch customer support.
  • The right amount of information, includes the facts, issues, rule of law, holding and reasoning, and any concurrences and dissents.
  • Access in your classes, works on your mobile and tablet. Massive library of related video lessons and high quality multiple-choice questions.
  • Easy to use, uniform format for every case brief. Written in plain English, not in legalese. Our briefs summarize and simplify; they don’t just repeat the court’s language.

Access this case brief for FREE

With a 7-day free trial membership
Here's why 810,000 law students have relied on our case briefs:
  • Reliable - written by law professors and practitioners, not other law students
  • The right length and amount of information - includes the facts, issue, rule of law, holding and reasoning, and any concurrences and dissents
  • Access in your class - works on your mobile and tablet
  • 46,300 briefs - keyed to 988 casebooks
  • Uniform format for every case brief
  • Written in plain English - not in legalese and not just repeating the court's language
  • Massive library of related video lessons - and practice questions
  • Top-notch customer support

Access this case brief for FREE

With a 7-day free trial membership

Casebooks

Property

Key Terms