The U.S. Supreme Court case Best et al. v. Humboldt Placer Mining Co. et al., 1962, revolved around a dispute over mining rights in Nevada between the plaintiffs (Best and others) and the defendants (Humboldt Placer Mining Company). The plaintiffs claimed that they had acquired valid title to certain unpatented mining claims through adverse possession, while the defendants argued that federal law precluded acquisition of such claims by adverse possession. The lower court ruled in favor of the defendants, holding that under federal law, mineral lands open for exploration could not be obtained via adverse possession but only through compliance with statutory requirements set forth by Congress. On appeal to the Supreme Court, it was held that state laws regarding property ownership did not apply when there were specific federal statutes governing land use - in this case relating to mining rights on public lands which required formal procedures for claim registration and maintenance as stipulated under Federal Law. Therefore, even though Best et al may have occupied or used these lands for years without challenge from other private parties or government entities; their failure to comply with these legal requirements meant they hadn't legally established ownership over said properties.

The dissenting opinion in the case of Best et al. v. Humboldt Placer Mining Co. et al., argued that the majority had erred in its interpretation of Alaska's mining laws and their application to this particular dispute over land rights. The dissent contended that, under Alaskan law, a miner who has not yet fully developed his claim still retains exclusive possession and use of it against all others except for the United States government itself or those with superior title claims. They believed that this principle should have been applied to protect Best's interests as he had made significant efforts towards developing his claim before being ousted by Humboldt Placer Mining Company’s operations on adjacent lands which encroached upon Best’s claimed area due to an incorrect survey conducted earlier by U.S officials.