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Washington · TitleWashington quiet title: the action, unknown heirs and service by publication

In Washington, any person with a valid subsisting interest in real property and a right to its possession may sue in the superior court of the county – against the tenant in possession, or if none, against the person claiming title or an interest – and obtain a judgment quieting title or removing a cloud from the plaintiff's title. The known heirs of a deceased person, or their successors, can sue that person's unknown heirs, and if they show they have possessed the property for the ten years before the suit with no one else claiming it, the court may decree them owners free of the unknown heirs' claims; a person in actual possession can also sue the unknown heirs of a person known to be dead or whose death is uncertain. An absent, nonresident or concealed defendant can be served by publication, and the court may appoint a trustee to sign or cancel deeds to carry out the judgment (RCW 7.28.010).

What the statute sets

  1. Who sues (RCW 7.28.010)

    A person with a valid subsisting interest and a right to possession.

  2. Where (RCW 7.28.010)

    The superior court of the county; judgment quieting title or removing a cloud.

  3. Unknown heirs (RCW 7.28.010)

    Heirs in possession ten years can be decreed owners free of unknown heirs' claims.

  4. Service (RCW 7.28.010)

    By publication on absent, nonresident or concealed defendants.

What the TC does when a cloud blocks a Washington closing

  • Ask the title company exactly which cloud blocks the policy and what would cure it.
  • If a quiet title suit is needed, get the seller's attorney's estimated timeline.
  • Move the closing date only after the title company confirms the cure.

Questions about quiet title in Washington

Who can sue to quiet title in Washington?

A person with a valid subsisting interest in the property and a right to possess it, in the superior court of the county (RCW 7.28.010).

Can Washington heirs clear title against unknown heirs?

Yes, if they have possessed the property for the ten years before suing with no one else claiming it (RCW 7.28.010).

Related guides

Track title cures and their deadlines as tasks on the deal in ClosingCode.

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Source: RCW 7.28.010 (app.leg.wa.gov), read October 30, 2026.

General information, not legal advice. ClosingCode is software; it is not a law firm or brokerage. This guide is not a substitute for the advice or services of an attorney.