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To be classified as abandoned, a building must typically be a hazard to the health and welfare of the community; the owner must relinquish his or her rights to the property; and the property must be vacant for a period of time.

A person is guilty of abandonment of a child when, being a parent, guardian or other person legally charged with the care or custody of a child, the person deserts the child in any place intending permanently to abandon the child. Abandonment of a child is a class E felony unless the child is 14 years of age or older.

The duration of the dormancy period varies depending on the type of property in question, but the vast majority of property types in Delaware have a five year dormancy period.

Pursuant to Chapter 11 of Title 12 Section 1173 of Delaware's Abandoned or Unclaimed Property Laws, the Delaware Secretary of State is authorized to enter into unclaimed property voluntary disclosure agreements with holders of unclaimed property and settle past amounts due.

However, the law gives several examples of types of personal property and how many years it must go unclaimed before being considered abandoned. In most cases, if the property goes unclaimed for five years or more, the state will consider it abandoned.

Owner's claims for abandoned and unclaimed property reported to Delaware are administered by the Delaware Department of Finance Office of Unclaimed Property. Their website can be found here. Owners can search the database which can be found here to identify abandoned and unclaimed property that may be due to them.

In both unclaimed property audits and the VDA program, Delaware state law requires a look-back period of 10 report years, plus the five-year dormancy period for most property types, which equates to a 15-year transactional review period.

What happens to the property once it is reported? The State of Delaware (?State?) takes custody of the property and is required to publish a list of property being held by the State in an attempt to reunite the property with its rightful Owner. Pursuant to 12 Del. C.

In Delaware, in order to claim adverse possession, an individual must occupy an abandoned property continuously for 20 years. They must also pay all property taxes and make improvements to the land during that time. After the 20 year period, the adverse possessor can file a lawsuit to claim legal title to the property.