(a) The petition shall be verified in the manner provided for verification of a complaint.
§ 770.050.Verified Petition; Information Included; Joinder
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 770.050 requires the petition to be verified and describes what it may set forth — the petitioner's interest, a description of the property, the names to be identified with record references linking them, and a prayer that their identity be established.
Full Text of § 770.050
(b) The petition may be substantially entitled, "In the matter of the determination of the identity of ____" (naming all the persons sought to be identified), and may set forth:
(1) A statement of petitioner's interest in the property as subsequent owner.
(2) A particular description of the property.
(3) The name or names of the person or persons sought to be identified, setting out the name and a reference to the record of the transaction under which the property was acquired or stands of record and the name and a reference to the record of the transaction under which the property was transferred or stands of record, that the names are the names of the same person, and that the transfers affect the petitioner's title to the real property.
(4) A prayer that the identity of such persons be established.
(c) As many persons sought to be identified as appear of record in the chain of title to the property may be joined in one petition or proceeding.
Plain-English Summary
The petition has to be verified the same way a complaint is verified, and it can be captioned to name every person whose identity is at issue — “In the matter of the determination of the identity of ___.”
Beyond the caption, the petition can lay out the petitioner's interest as a subsequent owner, describe the property, and identify the specific people involved: the name used when the property was acquired, the name used when it was transferred, a statement that both names refer to the same person, and an explanation of how the mismatch affects the petitioner's title. It closes with a request that the court establish that identity.
Section 770.050(c) also allows efficiency where a chain of title has more than one gap — as many people as appear in the chain of title can be joined in a single petition, rather than requiring a separate proceeding for each one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the petition have to be verified?
Yes, in the same manner required for verification of a complaint.
What information can the petition include?
The petitioner's interest as a subsequent owner, a description of the property, the names of the persons to be identified with record references showing the acquisition and transfer, a statement that the names belong to the same person, and a request that the court establish that identity.
Can one petition cover more than one name discrepancy in the chain of title?
Yes. Section 770.050(c) allows as many persons appearing in the chain of title as needed to be joined in a single petition or proceeding.
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: contents of identity petition californiaverified petition chain of title california