Quiet-Title Summons Publication — San Diego County
Quiet-title actions almost always involve unknown defendants — "all persons unknown, claiming any legal or equitable right, title, estate, lien, or interest" — so service by publication under CCP §763.020 is a routine step. The catch is the bill: most newspapers price by the column inch, and a quiet-title summons carries the full legal description. We don't.
📰 Publish your quiet-title summons — $324.50 flat →Any legal-description length · all 4 weekly runs + affidavit · optional court e-filing +$35Flat price vs. per-inch pricing
A quiet-title summons with a metes-and-bounds description can run 30+ column inches. At the per-inch rates of the county's dailies that's $500–$1,500 — and you don't know the number until the paper sets the type. Our price is $324.50 regardless of length: the summons, the complete legal description, the order — all four weekly publications and the signed affidavit included.
The publication step in a quiet-title action
- File the complaint (CCP §760.020) and record the lis pendens (CCP §761.010) with the San Diego County Recorder.
- Name and attempt service on known defendants; for unknown claimants and un-locatable defendants, apply for an order for service by publication (CCP §415.50 / §763.010).
- Publication must run in a newspaper of general circulation in the county where the property is located (CCP §763.020) — for San Diego County property, designate the Heartland News (adjudicated, Case No. 234901).
- Upload the order and summons; we publish once a week for 4 successive weeks and deliver the affidavit — or e-file it for $35.
For firms and title companies
Partition actions, HOA lien quiets, tax-deed quiets, easement disputes — recurring publications get priority handling, one consolidated invoice, and electronic affidavits via bulk submission.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does it cost to publish a quiet-title summons in San Diego County?
- $324.50 flat in the Heartland News — regardless of how long the legal description is. That covers all 4 required weekly publications and the signed affidavit of publication. Per-inch dailies commonly charge $500-$1,500 for the same notice.
- Where must a quiet-title summons be published?
- CCP §763.020 requires publication in a newspaper of general circulation in the county where the property is located. For San Diego County property, the Heartland News is adjudicated by the San Diego County Superior Court (Case No. 234901).
- How many times does a quiet-title summons publish?
- Once a week for four successive weeks (CCP §415.50 / Gov. Code §6064). Service on the published defendants is complete 28 days after the first publication.
- Do you handle the affidavit of publication?
- Yes — the signed affidavit is included and emailed when the run completes, or we e-file it with the San Diego Superior Court for $35.
The Heartland News is a newspaper of general circulation adjudicated by the San Diego County Superior Court (Case No. 234901). We are a newspaper, not a law firm; we are not acting as attorneys, paralegals, or legal document assistants, our free tools are provided at your own risk, and this page is general information, not legal advice.