Wash. Rev. Code » Title 7 · Chapter 7.28
Revised Code of Washington

Wash. Rev. Code § 7.28.010 (2026)

✓ current as of May 2026
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Any person having a valid subsisting interest in real property, and a right to the possession thereof, may recover the same by action in the superior court of the proper county, to be brought against the tenant in possession; if there is no such tenant, then against the person claiming the title or some interest therein, and may have judgment in such action quieting or removing a cloud from plaintiff's title; an action to quiet title may be brought by the known heirs of any deceased person, or of any person presumed in law to be deceased, or by the successors in interest of such known heirs against the unknown heirs of such deceased person or against such person presumed to be deceased and his or her unknown heirs, and if it shall be made to appear in such action that the plaintiffs are heirs of the deceased person, or the person presumed in law to be deceased, or the successors in interest of such heirs, and have been in possession of the real property involved in such action for ten years preceding the time of the commencement of such action, and that during said time no person other than the plaintiff in the action or his or her grantors has claimed or asserted any right or title or interest in said property, the court may adjudge and decree the plaintiff or plaintiffs in such action to be the owners of such real property, free from all claims of any unknown heirs of such deceased person, or person presumed in law to be deceased; and an action to quiet title may be maintained by any person in the actual possession of real property against the unknown heirs of a person known to be dead, or against any person where it is not known whether such person is dead or not, and against the unknown heirs of such person, and if it shall thereafter transpire that such person was at the time of commencing such action dead the judgment or decree in such action shall be as binding and conclusive on the heirs of such person as though they had been known and named; and in all actions, under this section, to quiet or remove a cloud from the title to real property, if the defendant be absent or a nonresident of this state, or cannot, after due diligence, be found within the state, or conceals himself or herself to avoid the service of summons, service may be made upon such defendant by publication of summons as provided by law; and the court may appoint a trustee for such absent or nonresident defendant, to make or cancel any deed or conveyance of whatsoever nature, or do any other act to carry into effect the judgment or the decree of the court.
[ 2011 c 336 s 170; 1911 c 83 s 1; 1890 c 72 s 1; Code 1881 s 536; 1879 p 134 s 1; 1877 p 112 s 540; 1869 p 128 s 488; 1854 p 205 s 398; RRS s 785. Formerly RCW 7.28.010, 7.28.020, 7.28.030, and 7.28.040.]

Notes:

Process, publication, etc.: Chapter 4.28 RCW.
Publication of legal notices: Chapter 65.16 RCW.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 68 cases (13 in the last 5 years), 1952–2026 · leading case: Brian Byrd v. Pierce Cnty., 425 P.3d 948 (Wash. Ct. App. 2018).
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Brian Byrd v. Pierce Cnty., 425 P.3d 948 (Wash. Ct. App. 2018). · cites it 10× “3d 716 (2013)); see RCW 7.28.010. “An action to quiet title allows a person in peaceable possession or claiming the right to possession of real property to compel others who assert a hostile right or claim to come forward and assert their right or claim and submit it to judicial…”
Kobza v. Tripp, 105 Wash. App. 90 (Wash. Ct. App. 2001). · cites it 3× “In Washington, such actions are governed by RCW 7.28.010. 2 An action to quiet title allows a person in peaceable possession or claiming the right to possession of real property to compel others who assert a hostile right or claim to come forward and assert their right or claim…”
Kobza v. Tripp, 18 P.3d 621 (Wash. Ct. App. 2001). · cites it 3× “In Washington, such actions are governed by RCW 7.28.010. [2] An action to quiet title allows a person in peaceable possession or claiming the right to possession of real property to compel others who assert a hostile right or claim to come forward and assert their right or…”
Durrah v. Wright, 115 Wash. App. 634 (Wash. Ct. App. 2003). · cites it 4× “47 The Code Reviser later codified that section as RCW 7.28.010, and it now appears in the same chapter as RCW 7.”
Durrah v. Wright, 63 P.3d 184 (Wash. Ct. App. 2003). · cites it 4× “[47] The Code Reviser later codified that section as RCW 7.28.010, and it now appears in the same chapter as RCW 7.”
Hummel v. Nw. Tr. Servs., Inc., 180 F. Supp. 3d 798 (W.D. Wash. 2016). · cites it 2× “” Wash. Rev. Code § 7.28.010 . “[T]he plaintiff in an action to quiet title must prevail, if he prevails at all, on the strength of his own title, and not on the weakness of the title of his adversary.”
Ralph v. Dep't of Nat. Resources, 343 P.3d 342 (Wash. 2014). · cites it 2× “RCW 7.28.010. As if this were not sufficiently clear, the 1890 *263 legislature enacted RCW 2.”
Littlefair v. Schulze, 169 Wash. App. 659 (Wash. Ct. App. 2012). · cites it 2× “¶5 In August 2009, Littlefair sued Schulze, seeking, among other things, (1) to remove Schulze’s fence from the easement on the basis of ejectment under former RCW 7.28.010 (1911) 2 and nuisance per se because it violates a county zoning ordinance; (2) to recover the reasonable…”
GLEPCO, LLC v. Reinstra, 307 P.3d 744 (Wash. Ct. App. 2013). · cites it 2× “Initially, the Reinstras *555 contend the Hintons lacked standing to bring a quiet title action because they had no “valid subsisting interest” under RCW 7.28.010 8 to former Lot B. We disagree.”
Walker v. Quality Loan Serv. Corp., 176 Wash. App. 294 (Wash. Ct. App. 2013). “” 73 RCW 7.28.010 requires Walker to bring an action to quiet title against “the person claiming the title or some interest” in real property in which he has a valid interest.”
Smale v. Noretep, 208 P.3d 1180 (Wash. Ct. App. 2009). · cites it 2× “"); RCW 7.28.010 ("Any person having a valid subsisting interest in real property, and a right to possession thereof, may recover the same by action in the superior court of the proper county.”
Smale v. Noretep, 150 Wash. App. 476 (Wash. Ct. App. 2009). · cites it 2× “”); RCW 7.28.010 (“Any person having a valid subsisting interest in real property, and a right to possession thereof, may recover the same by action in the superior court of the proper county.”
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