Legal Definitions - quiet title action

A quiet title action is a legal process used to determine ownership of a piece of real estate. It is a type of lawsuit that is filed by someone who claims to be the rightful owner of the property. The purpose of the lawsuit is to "quiet" any other claims to the property, meaning that if the owner wins the lawsuit, they will have clear and undisputed ownership of the property.

For example, let's say that John and Jane both claim to own a piece of land. John files a quiet title action against Jane, asking the court to determine who the rightful owner of the land is. If John wins the lawsuit, he will be the undisputed owner of the land and Jane will no longer have any claim to it.

In order to file a quiet title action, the person must not be in possession of the property and must not have the right to possess it. They must also want to determine all of the rights to the property. This means that if someone is already living on the property or has a legal right to it, a quiet title action may not be the appropriate legal action to take.