This land is my land, No this land is our land

Here's a story out of Broward County. The Haggards lived on a property for 23 years thinking all of it was theirs. It was not. At least there is a happy ending.

Open Post- Euphoric Reality and Cao's Blog

Davie- Melvin and Helen Haggard faced an unusual dilemma -- the land they lived on since 1981 and believed they owned, actually belonged to the town.

Perry Hodges, their lawyer, said the couple purchased two-thirds of an acre in eastern Davie in 1981. The seller owned two adjoining lots and while both parties intended the sale of both lots, the actual deal resulted only in the purchase of the west lot, Hodges said.

"The Haggards believed for almost 25 years that they owned what they thought was their entire yard," Hodges said. "They believed they owned both parcels, but they have actually been living on the east portion that they technically did not own."

The issue recently came before the Town Council. Hodges told council members that the Haggards paid taxes all these years thinking the payment was for both parcels. The east half, which was still in the name of the seller, was eventually taken over by Broward County for nonpayment of taxes and transferred to Davie.

In 2004, the Haggards applied for homestead exemption and learned the town had a claim to what they thought was their property, Hodges said. Hodges asked that the Haggards be allowed to pay their back taxes and have the property transferred to them.

The council agreed. The Haggards will be charged for back taxes and the town's attorney's fees, about $10,000.