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The TARDIS and all other characters mentioned are property of the British Broadcasting Corporation
The TARDIS and the Doctor seem like they belong together, much like fish fingers and custard. The issue is that the Doctor stole the TARDIS, or did he really? In The Doctor’s Wife the TARDIS told the Doctor that in fact she stole him. And during 10’s incarnation he stated that he meant to give the TARDIS back. Theft charges aside, the Doctor may own the TARDIS outright under the theory of adverse possession.
WHO
owns the TARDIS?
By Rebecca Johnson
(Future Companion)
Adverse possession is a way of acquiring title to real property without purchasing the property. Because the TARDIS is so spacious, we will assume that it is real property. The elements of adverse possession are: actual possession, exclusive possession, open and notorious possession, adverse and hostile possession, continuous possession, and possession for the statutory period. The Doctor must meet all of these requirements to own the TARDIS outright.
Actual possession requires that the claimant, the Doctor in our case, must physically use the property in the same manner that a reasonable owner would, given in nature and character. The property in question is a TARDIS, which would be used for time travel. The Doctor does use the TARDIS for time travel. His adventures may be different from that of a reasonable owner, but that is not relevant to the case. The Doctor has met the first requirement.
Exclusive possession requires that the ownership cannot be shared with the owner or with the public in general. The Doctor does not share ownership of the TARDIS in any meaningful way. We see this by the Doctor being hesitant in giving a key to