Legal Definitions - occupatile

Definition: Occupatile (ok-yə-pə-tīl) is a historical term used to describe a property that has been abandoned by its rightful owner and is now possessed by another.

• During the gold rush, many miners left their claims unattended, making them occupatile.
• After the hurricane, many homes were left vacant and became occupatile.

These examples illustrate how a property can become occupatile when the rightful owner abandons it. In the first example, miners who left their claims unattended allowed others to take possession of the land. In the second example, homes left vacant after a hurricane became occupatile as others moved in and took possession.