Defined term
Quiet title action
A quiet title action is a lawsuit to resolve competing claims to real property and obtain a court judgment establishing clear, marketable ownership.
Quiet title is the procedural vehicle to clear up disputed ownership. Common scenarios: a defective deed in the chain of title, an unreleased mortgage from decades ago, a tax-sale purchase with lingering objections, an heirship dispute. The plaintiff joins all parties who may claim an interest and asks the court to adjudicate them.
Both Alabama (Ala. Code § 6-6-540 et seq.) and Florida (Fla. Stat. ch. 65) have specific quiet-title statutes. Successful judgments are recorded in the land records and cut off the defendants' claims. Title insurance underwriters often require quiet title before issuing a policy on a parcel with cloud-of-title issues.
Statutes
- Ala. Code § 6-6-540 et seq.
- Fla. Stat. ch. 65