Sec. 1. (a) A person claiming an interest in land may preserve and keep effective that interest by filing for record during the fifty (50) year period immediately following the effective date of the root of title of the person whose record title would otherwise be marketable, a notice in writing, verified by oath, setting forth the nature of the claim. A disability or lack of knowledge of any kind on the part of anyone does not suspend the running of the fifty (50) year period. Notice may be filed for record by the claimant or by a person acting on behalf of any claimant who is:

(1) under a disability;

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Terms Used In Indiana Code 32-20-4-1

  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. Source: U.S. Courts
  • in writing: include printing, lithographing, or other mode of representing words and letters. See Indiana Code 1-1-4-5
  • Verified: when applied to pleadings, means supported by oath or affirmation in writing. See Indiana Code 1-1-4-5
  • Year: means a calendar year, unless otherwise expressed. See Indiana Code 1-1-4-5
(2) unable to assert a claim on the claimant’s behalf; or

(3) one (1) of a class whose identity cannot be established or is uncertain at the time of filing the notice of claim for record.

     (b) If the same record owner of any possessory interest in land has been in possession of the land continuously for a period of at least fifty (50) years, during which period:

(1) title transaction with respect to the interest does not appear of record in the record owner’s chain of title;

(2) notice has not been filed by the record owner or on behalf of the record owner as provided in subsection (a); and

(3) possession continues to the time when marketability is being determined;

the period of possession is considered equivalent to the filing of the notice immediately preceding the termination of the fifty (50) year period described in subsection (a).

     (c) If:

(1) a person claims the benefit of an equitable restriction or servitude that is one (1) of a number of substantially identical mutual restrictions on the use of tracts in a platted subdivision, the plat of which is recorded as provided by law; and

(2) the subdivision plan provides for an association, corporation, committee, or other similar group that is empowered to determine whether the restrictions are to be terminated or continued at the expiration of a stated period not exceeding fifty (50) years, and, by the terms of this provision, it is determined that:

(A) the restrictions are not to be terminated; or

(B) the restrictions are to be continued because no determination to terminate has been made;

then the officer or other person authorized to represent the association, corporation, committee, or other similar group may preserve and keep in effect all the restrictions by filing a notice as provided in subsection (a) on behalf of all owners of land in the subdivision for the benefit of whom the restrictions exist.

[Pre-2002 Recodification Citation: 32-1-5-4.]

As added by P.L.2-2002, SEC.5.

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