Definition
A quiet title action is a legal action filed in court to resolve disputed ownership, remove clouds on title, or eliminate competing claims. The court issues a decree establishing clear ownership.
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Quiet title actions formally resolve competing claims or clouded titles through court proceedings. The plaintiff files in court to 'quiet' or establish clear title, notifying all potential claimants. If successful, the court issues a decree establishing the plaintiff's clear ownership, which eliminates competing claims. Quiet title actions take time and money but definitively resolve complex title issues that simple curatives can't address.
Pro Tip
Consider quiet title action if closing is delayed by a cloud on title. It's faster than negotiated resolution.
Example
A property has a cloud on title from an old claim by a distant heir; the buyer files a quiet title action to establish clear ownership.