Maine · TitleMaine quiet title: the summary proceeding that makes adverse claimants try their title

Maine's statutory quiet title route is a summary proceeding. A person in possession of real property who claims an estate of freehold in it, or an unexpired term of not less than 10 years, or a person who conveyed the property with covenants of title or warranty and may be liable on them, may bring an action in the Superior Court or the District Court where the property lies if that person, or those under whom or through whom the person claims, have been in uninterrupted possession for 4 years or more (14 M.R.S. §6651). The complaint sets out the estate and the source of title, describes the premises and alleges that named persons, or unknown heirs, devisees or assigns, claim or may claim an adverse interest that clouds the title and depreciates the property's market value, and asks that they be summoned to show cause why they should not bring an action to try their title; unknown claimants are alleged under oath, and a person enjoying an easement counts as in possession (§6651).