Hi Joy, Me again. I think this refers to real estate that has a questionable title, and one can get clear title by establishing that he or she has occupied the property for the legally specified time. I think this means they provide services for this kind of property: title, refinancing, insurance, mortgage, etc.

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Note added at 2 hrs (2008-06-24 03:12:18 GMT)
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I think another word, in French and English, for prescription immobilière is usucaption and definitely correct, but I don't know how many people would recognize it. Usucaption was misspelled usucapion in Anders' French dictionary entry. I have never heard the term "positive prescription", but I have often dealt with "adverse possessiom". It is much more common in older countries where property has been held and transferred for centuries. I think Usucaption is definitely correct, but used mostly by lawyerish types. I still say "adverse possession services" would be more widely understood.

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Note added at 2 hrs (2008-06-24 03:27:19 GMT)
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Sorry to drivel on, but I think prescription in US law (I'm not a lawyer) usually just conveys use of a property, easement or usufruct, not title. You need title to get a mortgage or otherwise use property for collateral, unless you are just pledging the usufruct of the property, which is rare.

Adverse possession is similar to squatting, but if you squat, there are statutes of limitation that give you title if you squat long enough and no one challenges you. It happens in Texas all the time. Usually people die, and their heirs are unaware of property. In Mexico I think it's only five years! I think it's 20 in Texas and 30 in France. It just means that if land has been in your family in France, say since 1600, somebody has lost the title, but you can prove that you have lived and paid taxes there for 30 years, you can apply for clear title and use it as mortgage collateral. You might run this by one of the agency's lawyer translators. rather than depend on finance people.

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Note added at 6 hrs (2008-06-24 06:55:49 GMT)
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I have had the opportunity to review MMForest comments. Googling "positive prescription". it looks like positive prescription is the Scottish term (thus possibly Canadian?) for US "adverse possession". Upon further research, I amend my confidence level to 5, and cite http://www.expertlaw.com/library/real_estate/adverse_possess...

Adverse possession does not imply "illegal" at all, although it sounds like it might. It just means that the claim may be in good faith (lost or confused title) or bad faith.\, squatting. Right by adverse possession when thusly and properly adjudicated, is legal and binding. Are your target readers Scottish, US, or other?