Sorry to be persistent, but “usucapiao” IS LAND STEALING, not stealing as with a gun pointing to the person’s face, but you occupy someone’s land with your possessions and family, once you do that, the government will not allow the property owner to throw you out, unless you have another place to live.
The owner has to enter with an “Acao de Reintegracao de Posse” which is VERY expensive and it takes years to be resolved, it is a very complicated process.
It is hard to believe that there is land with no owners at any beach area in Brazil, perhaps the owners died and the estate is still being settled, the descendants might be fighting over who gets what, this is the opportunistic time some shady people go in for “usucapiao” and it is still wrong.
Sorry, but it is a low life thing to do, it is taking advantage of people when they are fragile, when they lost a loved one.
I am a Brazilian attorney and never heard of “land with no owners”, Brazil started being colonized in the 1500′s, trust me, we are way past the point of “land with no owners” principally in prime locations with expensive land nearby.
Every piece of land everywhere in Brazil has owners, trust me, now if the owners are protecting their land well or not, that is another story.
No matter how it might be sugar coated, “usucapiao” is nothing but a low life, horrible thing to do, people have murdered and been murdered over the years when they adventure into this shady “gap” in the Brazilian law.
You might fall into the hands of a dirty local Realtor who tells you that you could do “usucapiao” on a certain parcel of land and you will be watching over your shoulders for the rest of your life, because the previous owners or their decedents won’t forget, and God forbid you fall into the hands of someone with a temper!! I think your life is not worth risking for some land you could just as well acquire the LEGAL, LEGITIMATE WAY and sleep well at night.
Thanks for your answer and for giving me the opportunity to share my opinions.

Ray

In Pipa we are talking about “terras devolutas”, land that doesn’t belong to nobody. It’s the same thing if you go to several other parts of Brazil. It’s easy to find out why a few places have no owners, simply because there was nobody there before. It’s places with recent growing population, there was no interest from nobody there 50 years ago. There wasn’t even road for access.

One point that you missed is that Usucapiao, is not land stealing. The main thing about the usucapiao law, is that it has to be peaceful occupation, and for longer than 5 years for urban land, and 10 years for country land. If you can prove that you have been at a certain place for 10 years and nobody ever complained about your occupation, then i don’t think the place has an owner. If so, why hasn’t the owner complained or removed you from there with a formal complaint at the police?
You can prove your possession of the land with the Possession Title, a title that is done at the notary and the town hall.

Now, if you ask me, there are risks of course, and i agree with you when you say one should always look for advice.

Ray

have you ever heard a crowd sing along… to an INSTRUMENTAL song?