Subject to the power of the court to transfer actions, the proper county for the trial of an action under this chapter is:
§ 760.050.Venue
Title 10. Actions In Particular Cases · Chapter 4. Quiet Title · Article 1. General Provisions · Enacted 1980 · no amendments on record · Last verified July 28, 2026
In one sentenceSection 760.050 sets venue for a quiet title action in the county where the real property, or some part of it, is located, or, for personal property, in the county where it is principally located or where a defendant resides when the action begins.
Full Text of § 760.050
(a) Where the subject of the action is real property or real and personal property, the county in which the real property, or some part thereof, is located.
(b) Where the subject of the action is personal property, the county in which the personal property is principally located at the commencement of the action or in which the defendants, or any of them, reside at the commencement of the action.
Plain-English Summary
Venue tracks what the lawsuit is about. When the action concerns real property, or a mix of real and personal property, the proper county is wherever the real property — or any part of it — sits. That rule holds even if the parties themselves live elsewhere.
When the action concerns personal property only, venue shifts to where that property is mainly located when the case starts, or to the county where any of the defendants reside. Either way, subdivision (a)'s opening line reminds litigants that these venue rules operate subject to the court's ordinary power to transfer an action to a different county.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do you file a quiet title lawsuit for California real estate?
In the county where the real property, or any part of it, is located, regardless of where the parties live.
What if the quiet title action only involves personal property?
Venue is proper in the county where the personal property is principally located when the action starts, or where any defendant resides.
Can a quiet title case be moved to a different county after filing?
Yes. Section 760.050 applies subject to the court's general power to transfer actions to another proper venue.
Amendment History
Added by Stats. 1980, Ch. 44, Sec. 15.
Source & verification. Section text is reproduced verbatim from
the Deering's California Codes Annotated / vLex. Enacted by the California Legislature.
Last verified July 28, 2026.
· Official source
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