As used in this article:
§ 770.010.Definitions
Title 10. Actions In Particular Cases · Chapter 4.5. Special Actions and Proceedings to Clear Title · Article 1. Identity of Person in Chain of Title · Enacted 1980 · no amendments on record · Last verified July 28, 2026
In one sentenceSection 770.010 defines four terms — “acquired,” “property,” “subsequent owner,” and “transfer” — that frame the narrow proceeding this article authorizes for resolving whether two different names appearing in a property's chain of title belong to the same person.
Full Text of § 770.010
(a) "Acquired" means received or taken by conveyance, judgment, decree, or otherwise.
(b) "Property" means any right, title, or interest in or lien upon real property or part thereof.
(c) "Subsequent owner" means the person to whom property is transferred whether as owner, part owner, or otherwise, or the successors in interest of the person, and includes a distributee of the estate of a decedent.
(d) "Transfer" means voluntary or involuntary transfer and includes a conveyance, reconveyance, satisfaction of a lien, or divestment by judgment, decree, or otherwise. The probate of the estate of a decedent and entry of the decree of distribution is a transfer within the meaning of this subdivision.
Plain-English Summary
This section sets the vocabulary for a proceeding much narrower than an ordinary quiet title action. “Acquired” covers any way a person came to hold property — by conveyance, judgment, decree, or otherwise — and “transfer” covers any way that person later gave it up, voluntary or not, including a lien satisfaction or the probate distribution of a decedent's estate.
“Subsequent owner” is the person who takes property after that transfer, whether as full owner, part owner, or through inheritance as a distributee of an estate. That's the person entitled to bring the proceeding this article creates — one aimed at a single, narrow problem: matching up two different names for the same person somewhere in the chain of title, addressed in § 770.020.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does “acquired” mean in this article?
Any way a person came to hold property, including by conveyance, judgment, decree, or any other method of receiving title.
What counts as a “transfer” under § 770.010?
Any voluntary or involuntary transfer, including a conveyance, reconveyance, satisfaction of a lien, or a divestment by judgment or decree — and the probate distribution of a decedent's estate counts as a transfer too.
Who qualifies as a “subsequent owner” who can use this proceeding?
The person to whom the property later passed, whether as full owner, part owner, or through inheritance, including a distributee of a decedent's estate.
Amendment History
Added by Stats. 1980, Ch. 44, Sec. 16.
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
Also known as: identity of person in chain of title californiachain of title definitions california