The process of combining periods of adverse use by different owners to meet statutory requirements is known as?

The process being described is known as tacking. This legal concept allows for the addition of time periods of adverse possession from one owner or possessor to another, provided that there is a connection between them, such as privity of estate.

In adverse possession, a person can acquire legal title to a property after openly and continuously occupying it for a statutory period, but this can only be done if the possession is without the permission of the original owner. If one claimant has occupied the property for a period that does not meet the statutory requirement, they may be able to 'tack' their time onto that of a predecessor who also had adverse possession. This combined time may fulfill the requirement to claim legal ownership of the property.

This concept is particularly important because it emphasizes the continuity of possession, allowing successive possessors to benefit from their predecessors' time on the property, thus facilitating the resolution of disputes over property rights.