What does "Possession is 9/10's of the law" mean?

Question

I've heard people say that but what does it mean?

Answer 1

One site (law.com) says: It merely serves to make a point that one who has physical control of his property is clearly at an advantage should his rightful ownership of the property ever be subject to challenge.

The old saying that “possession is nine tenths of the law” is said to be a precept from old English Common Law (but other sources claim it is much older). As you might imagine, the adage relates to a property owner’s ability to possess, use and dispose of property as he saw fit.

It is relative to one person telling another person who he can and cannot utilize his property, rather than a disputed ownership.

Secondly, the aphorism that "possession is nine-tenths of the law" is not a law at all, but a logical rule of force that has been recognized for ages. In other words, it does not requires a law degree to know that a person who can prove himself the owner of property to anassurance of nine-tenths probability is clearly at an advantage over

someone who cannot. The rule here is (or “was” perhaps, back when the world was probably a bit more honest than it is today) that in many cases physical possession alone establishes this measure of rightful ownership and legal control outside of court (Though we know is in this day and age that the rule doesn’t always hold true, don’t we? This in itself proves the adage is not an actual law, but a rule of thumb.)

In civil law consider Law.com’s definition of “possession”. It has very little to do with OWNERSHIP at all:

The phrase “possession is nine-tenths of the law” does not imply that any person who holds any property is the rightful owner. To the contrary…what it does imply is that any person who is in possession of his RIGHTFULLY OWNED PROPERTY is the sole controller of that property

and may do whatsoever he wishes without regard to what any one else

Answer 2

"Possession is very strong; rather more than nine points of the law."

That's a quote from the English Commmon Law sytem where landowners ruled. They were the only people that could serve in the court of lords.

Basically it means that if you own land in Feudal England you have a lot of power.  While it referenced being a landowner in earlier years, nowdays, people just find things to apply the phrase to.

Answer 3

I dunno what that means either...!

Answer 4

It's that one percent that gets you!!! True story! A girl bought a ring at a pawn shop!! Paid cash and had a receipt! Goes back to work, and a lady sitting next to her starts jumping on her bones!!!! THAT'S MY RING!  About a month before this woman's house was robbed, and her jewelry was stolen! The other lady, actually spending a few days R & R in Reno, bought the ring there!!! So now we have a cat fight, who really owns that ring!!?  There WAS a mark on the ring that did identify it as her's, but, as the second owner had a legitimate receipt purchasing the ring - WHO REALLY OWNS IT!? Answer - the lady who bought it at the pawn shop! It wasn't HER fault the other lady got robbed! Actually, they both made out! The robbed lady turned it into her insurance company and got the money for the ring! But there was bad blood between the two women ever after!!

Answer 5

Regarding the subject of the 9 points which became 9/10 I don't really know where the tenths came from. I was told the 9 points of the law are the various documents that prove ownership. They would be documents such as leases,deeds,trusts,rental agreements,titles-such as for cars and boats etc. There are several more which create 9 points or legal scripts leaving the rest to your imagination. By holding something physical such as money or gold in your possession gives you a non-represented right to possession but then again if the country who protects your legal rights folds.  

Answer 6

means rather or not you've done it if its in your possession, its on you...  

Answer 7

if you found something and someone reported stolen but didn't have any evidence to back it up, the cops can't take it from you because possession it 9/10's of the law