Possession

Possession is factual control of an object, sometimes accompanied by an intention to control it. It can exist without ownership and may carry legal consequences.

Corpus possessionis: The factual element of possession: physical control or practical power over an object. It captures the control that makes possession more than a claim of entitlement.
Possessory title: A legally recognized claim to property grounded in possession rather than proven ownership. Possession can support a title against everyone except someone with a stronger claim.
Ownership: The legally recognized set of rights to use, control, transfer, or exclude others from property. An owner may lack possession, while a possessor may lack ownership.
Possession is nine-tenths of the law: A proverb expressing the practical advantage possession can provide in a property dispute. The saying reflects possession's evidentiary and procedural weight, not an absolute rule.
Animus possidendi: The intention to possess or control an object, a mental element in some legal accounts of possession. Some doctrines require this intention in addition to factual control.
Adverse possession: A legal process by which qualifying possession of land can eventually establish ownership. Long, legally specified possession can change who owns land.
Title (property): The legal basis for recognizing a person's rights in property. Title concerns the recognized claim; possession concerns factual control.
Self-help (law): A person's direct action to protect or recover a legal interest without first obtaining a court order. Rules limiting self-help can protect possession against forcible interference.
Custody: Temporary physical care or holding of an object, often subject to another person's control. Custody can involve physical handling without independent possession.
Bailment: A legal relationship in which one person temporarily holds personal property for another. It separates possession from ownership while assigning duties to the holder.

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