Open and notorious use in adverse possession means the use is

• A. Hidden to owner
• B. Visible and not secret
• C. Illegal
• D. Perceived only by neighbor

Answer: (B)

Open and notorious means the use of the land is visible and not secret. The possessor must be using the property in a way that a reasonable landowner would notice upon ordinary inspection, so the true owner has a chance to discover the intrusion. This prevents someone from claiming land by quietly occupying it without the owner ever realizing. So the use is conducted openly, in a manner that signals an ownership claim, rather than hidden, clandestine, or merely private to a small circle. The other ideas—being hidden to the owner, being illegal, or being perceived only by a neighbor—do not fit this notice requirement.