Sec. 8. Whenever any record of any court of this state, or any pleading or paper of the files of such court, any probated will or will filed for probate, or any execution or decretal order or other writ issued out of such court, or by the clerk thereof, has been lost or destroyed, in whole or in part, and such lost or destroyed record, paper, will, order or writ in any way forms a part of the evidence of any title to or interest in any real estate, either legal or equitable, any person holding such title to or interest in such real estate may, by complaint in the proper court of the county in which such real estate is situated, have his title to or interest in such real estate declared quieted and set at rest. All persons having or claiming any interest in such real estate shall be made defendants to such complaint and shall be served with notice as provided in section 3 of this chapter. The complaint shall specify the plaintiff's title to or interest in the real estate and shall state with reasonable certainty the record, paper, order, will or writ lost or destroyed and how the same constitutes a part of the evidence of his title to or interest in such real estate. Upon the trial of such cause, oral testimony shall be admitted of the loss or destruction, and the contents of such records, papers, wills, orders, or writs so lost or destroyed; and such rule of evidence shall be applicable to every part of such records, papers, orders, wills, or writs, the issuing of such writs, and other process of such courts, and the returns thereon, notices by publication and the proof thereof.
Formerly: Acts 1881, c.30, s.8. As amended by P.L.25-1986, SEC.86.
Structure Indiana Code
Title 5. State and Local Administration
Article 15. Preservation of Public Records
Chapter 2. Reinstatement of Destroyed Records
5-15-2-1. Judicial Records; Certified Copies of Lost or Destroyed Originals
5-15-2-2. Judicial Records; Loss or Destruction of Originals; Certified Copy Unobtainable
5-15-2-4. Resisting Complaint; Answer of Nul-Tiel Record; Admission of Oral Testimony; Reinstatement
5-15-2-5. Motion to Set Aside Reinstatement
5-15-2-6. Affidavit for Reinstatement; Stay of Proceedings
5-15-2-7. Reference of Complaint to Master Commissioner; Proceedings
5-15-2-8. Title to Real Estate; Quieting Title by Complaint
5-15-2-9. Probate Records; Reinstatement
5-15-2-10. Judicial Records; Special Term to Reinstate Lost or Destroyed Records