A quiet title action—also known as a trespass to try title action—is a lawsuit against a party who claims an interest in a piece of real property (land). In a quiet title action, the plaintiff seeks to establish the plaintiff’s title (ownership interest) in the land by forcing the adverse claimant (the defendant) to establish or prove an interest in the land or be forever estopped (precluded) from asserting an interest in the land.

The resolution of such a lawsuit is designed to settle or quiet a disputed claim to title or ownership of the land.

Laws regarding quiet title actions may vary from state to state and may be located in a state’s statutes or in its court opinions (common law or case law). The terms used for such a claim may also vary and in some states there may be a distinction between a quiet title claim and a trespass to try title claim—or a quiet title claim may be treated as an informal reference to a trespass to try title claim.

In Iowa, a quiet title action is a legal proceeding used to resolve disputes over the ownership of real property. This type of lawsuit allows an individual or entity (the plaintiff) to seek a court judgment confirming their title to the property, thereby 'quieting' any challenges or claims to the title by others (the defendants). The goal is to eliminate any doubts regarding the ownership of the property and to prevent future claims against it. Iowa's approach to quiet title actions is governed by state statutes, which outline the procedures for filing the action, serving notice to interested parties, and the adjudication process. The resolution of a quiet title action in Iowa results in a court order that clarifies and establishes the plaintiff's rightful ownership of the property in question, and it can prevent the adverse claimant from asserting an interest in the property in the future. It's important to note that the specific procedures and requirements for a quiet title action in Iowa may be detailed in the Iowa Code and further interpreted by case law.