You make an excellent point. Up until I read your post I thought limiting claims to 2ish was a good idea.
There does need to be some kind of alternate way forward. We are 3 people with 5 claims on a good size island. That island has a company of maybe 3 people, that I've seen, with well over 100 claims. They own most of the island and surrounding water. I play everyday so no chance to lose our 3 claims with buildings. However, after logging out last night they were able to take the 2 claims with no bodies on them. It's frustrating...
They stay logged in 24x7 so no chance of getting them back.