# Legal time period



## madeira (Jun 12, 2018)

We have a water tank at the back of our house in Madeira; the type people use for storing agricultural water so they can water the land etc. Although this tank is owned by other people (an ancient system called bemfeiturias), the ground that it is on and the access to the output tap is on our property which we allow access to get the water. However, this tank hasn't been used at all for the past 10-15 years, and the levadas that feed it are all in disrepair and don't connect to any water supply. 
My question is, has anyone any idea how long this has to remain dormant (unused) before we can withdraw the right to gain access for the water?
The entry gate is open 24/7 unlocked with a notice in Portuguese explaining that the property is private, but we allow access to the tank. The tap to open the supply of water is buried, and the old canal has long since disappeared.


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