r/interestingasfuck 1d ago

From 2014 to 2025, Mark Zuckerberg bought over 1,400 acres on Kauai Island and stole any land the natives wouldn't sell him, earning the moniker 'the face of neocolonialism.' r/all

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u/rick_regger 1d ago

We got the "Wegerecht" Here in Austria where you are partially allowed to use private "Wege"(path?) even when you not own them or have alternatives after you used them for several decades (as example when the prior owner allowed it)

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u/I_voted-for_Kodos 1d ago

This is a law literally everywhere. Otherwise any rando could buy a square meter of land on either side of a road and set up a toll booth.

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u/rick_regger 1d ago

not sure if you could buy a single squaremetre of land from a residentland, technically possible but cause the land is categorized into units from the local gov practically impossible, corruption aside.

that wegerecht applies for "neighbors" (afaik) and not every random guy that thinks he wants to walk there.

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u/anyansweriscorrect 1d ago

They're not talking about using a road or sidewalk. This is more akin to using a path through your neighbors backyard. In the US, you'd get a gun shoved in your face. In other places, it's protected. See also UK right to roam.

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u/Hands 1d ago

Well no, because they wouldn't own the road... and this is not the law everywhere, at least in the US I believe this is typically codified as an easement, but if you don't have an access easement you aren't legally allowed to just trespass on your neighbor's land even if there's no other way to get there.

Maybe you meant to say it's the law literally everywhere that has reasonable property laws. In a lot of Europe you're allowed to travel across other people's undeveloped land (or even camp, forage, etc) as long as it's in a transient manner, in much of the US you are not only not legally entitled to do so... but can legally be murdered by the property owner for trespassing.

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u/I_voted-for_Kodos 1d ago

Right of way laws exist, in one form or another, literally everywhere, including the US. An easement is one of those forms.

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u/Hands 23h ago

What's it called when there is no easement?

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u/cashleyborin 1d ago

We call that an easement in the US

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u/govunah 1d ago

An easement or right of way if its outlined in a deed or other agreement.

We also have adverse possession where you can use and maintain a parcel or part of one for a period of time and if no one says anything it becomes yours. In most cases it's abandoned ally or property set aside for a street that was never built but abutting owner cares for the property. In my state the time is 10 years but you can't adversary possess state property but in must cases they'll sell it fairly cheap.

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u/cashleyborin 1d ago

Sure, but that’s not what the person I was replying to was talking about. Also, an implied easement doesn’t have to be in writing.

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u/lailah_susanna 1d ago

"Right of way" is probably the most literal translation, but in the UK they have an even more liberal right called "right to roam".

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u/DiscoBanane 1d ago

In France and I guess most non-anglo countries this goes even further.

Trespassing doesn't exist. You can go literally anywhere, except in a building where someone has residence (but garden is okay). It's legal and you have to leave only if asked.

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u/Practical-Log-1049 1d ago

Easements, we have them too