Chapter 657 — Chapter 657

PART I. PERSONAL ACTIONS §657-1 Six years. The following actions shall be commenced within six years next after the cause of action accrued, and not after:

§657-1.8 Civil action arising from sexual offenses; application; certificate of merit; trauma-informed response. (a) Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, no action for recovery of damages based on physical, psychological, or other injury or condition suffered by a victim when…

§657-10 Special limitations. This part shall not extend to any action which is, or shall be, limited by any statute to be brought within a shorter time than is herein prescribed; but the action shall be brought within the time limited by the statute. [CC 1859, §1048; RL 1925, §26…

§657-11 Recoveries authorized by federal statute. Whenever any federal statute provides for damages or equitable relief and neither the federal statute nor any specific state statute specifies the period within which suit may be brought, the suit, if brought in a state court, sha…

§657-12 REPEALED. L 1972, c 105, §1(q).

§657-13 Infancy, insanity, imprisonment. If any person entitled to bring any action specified in this part (excepting actions against the sheriff, chief of police, or other officers) is, at the time the cause of action accrued, either: such person shall be at liberty to bring suc…

§657-14 Disability to exist at accrual of action. No person shall avail oneself of any disability enumerated in this part, unless the disability existed at the time the right of action accrued. [CC 1859, §1046; RL 1925, §2649; RL 1935, §3920; RL 1945, §10431; RL 1955, §241-13; HR…

§657-15 Two or more disabilities. Where there are two or more such disabilities existing at the time the right of action accrued, the limitations herein prescribed shall not attach until all the disabilities are removed. [CC 1859, §1047; RL 1925, §2650; RL 1935, §3921; RL 1945, §…

§§657-16 and 657-17 REPEALED. L 1976, c 200, pt of §1.

§657-18 Extension by absence from State. If at any time when any cause of action specified in this part or section 663-3 accrues against any person, the person is out of the State, the action may be commenced within the terms respectively limited, after the return of the person i…

§657-19 Extension by injunction. Whenever the commencement of any action is stayed by an injunction of any court, the time during which the injunction is in force shall not be deemed any portion of the time limited in this part or section 663-3 for the commencement of the action.…

§657-2 Mutual current account. In all actions in the nature of debt, account, or assumpsit, brought to recover any balance due upon a mutual, open, and current account, the cause of action shall be deemed to have accrued from the time of the last item proved in the account. [CC 1…

§657-20 Extension by fraudulent concealment. If any person who is liable to any of the actions mentioned in this part or section 663-3, fraudulently conceals the existence of the cause of action or the identity of any person who is liable for the claim from the knowledge of the p…

§657-21 Extension by keeping defendant in ignorance. When an action is alleged by a plaintiff to have been commenced within the time required by law, and the allegation is put in issue by the defendant, it shall be competent for the defendant to prove, on the trial, that the proc…

§657-22 When process not commencement. Upon any such matter being established, or upon its appearance in any other way that any process was issued without any intent that it should be served, the process shall not be deemed the commencement of an action within the meaning of this…

§657-23 Extension while criminal case is pending. If at any time when any cause of action for recovery of restitution or compensation for damage or injury to a victim of a crime exists, a criminal action is pending which arises out of the same occurrence, the time during which th…

§657-3.5 Relation back of amendments. An amended pleading relates back to the date of the original pleading as provided by the rules of court. Nothing herein limits or affects section 657-3. [L 1972, c 105, §1(c)]

PART II. REAL ACTIONS §657-31 Twenty years. No person shall commence an action to recover possession of any lands, or make any entry thereon, unless within twenty years after the right to bring the action first accrued. [L 1870, c 22, §1; am L 1898, c 19, §1; RL 1925, §2657; RL 1…

§657-31.5 Adverse possession. In an action under this part where the person defending the action claims by adverse possession in excess of the period of limitation, said claim can only be made: However, any person defending an action under this part may claim adverse possession i…

§657-32 How computed. If the right first accrued to any ancestor or predecessor of the person bringing the action or making the entry, or to any persons from, by, or under whom the person bringing the action or making the entry claims, the twenty years shall be computed from the …

§657-33 Action accrues when. In the construction of this part, the right to make an entry or commence an action shall be deemed to have first accrued at the following times:

§657-33.5 Deregistered land. In no event shall the period of limitations provided in this part begin prior to the date and time of deregistration for deregistered land. The terms "date and time of deregistration" and "deregistered land" as used in this section shall have the same…

§657-34 Disabilities. If, when right of entry or of action first accrues as aforesaid, the person entitled to the entry or action is within the age of eighteen years, or insane, or imprisoned, such person, or anyone claiming from, by, or under the person, may make the entry or br…

§657-35 Extension of time by death. If the person first entitled to make the entry or bring the action dies during the continuance of any of the disabilities mentioned in section 657‑34, the entry may be made or the action brought by that person's heirs, or any other person claim…

§657-36 Same. If, when the right of action first accrues, the person entitled thereto is under any of the disabilities mentioned in section 657-34, and dies without having recovered the premises, no further time for making the entry or bringing the action, beyond what is prescrib…

§657-37 REPEALED. L 1972, c 105, §1(q).

§657-38 Possession, interrupting statute. No person shall be deemed to have been in possession of any lands within the meaning of this part, merely by reason of having made an entry thereon, unless the person has continued in open and peaceable possession of the same for the spac…

§657-4 Two years; libel and slander. All actions for libel or slander shall be commenced within two years after the cause of action accrued, and not after. [CC 1859, §1037; am imp L 1907, c 113, §1; am L 1913, c 19, §1; RL 1925, §2642; RL 1935, §3913; RL 1945, §10424; RL 1955, §2…

§657-5 Domestic judgments and decrees. Unless an extension is granted, every judgment and decree of any court of the State shall be presumed to be paid and discharged at the expiration of ten years after the judgment or decree was rendered. No action shall be commenced after the …

§657-6 Four years; causes arising in foreign jurisdiction, etc. Subject to section 657-9, actions for the recovery of any debt founded upon any contract, obligation, or liability, where the cause of action has arisen in any foreign jurisdiction including actions on judgments or d…

§657-7 Damage to persons or property. Actions for the recovery of compensation for damage or injury to persons or property shall be instituted within two years after the cause of action accrued, and not after, except as provided in section 657-13. [L 1907, c 113, §1; am L 1913, c…

§657-7.3 Medical torts; limitation of actions; time. [(a)] No action for injury or death against a chiropractor, clinical laboratory technologist or technician, dentist, naturopathic physician, nurse, nursing home administrator, dispensing optician, optometrist, osteopath, physic…

§657-7.5 Third-party defendants, time in which plaintiff may amend. When a defendant, against whom action has been timely brought, brings in a third-party defendant who is or may be liable to the defendant or to the plaintiff for all or part of the plaintiff's claim against the d…

§657-8 Limitation of action for damages based on construction to improve real property. (a) No action, whether in contract, tort, statute, or otherwise, to recover damages for any injury to property, real or personal, or for bodily injury or wrongful death, arising out of any def…

§657-9 Action barred in foreign jurisdiction. When a cause of action has arisen in any foreign jurisdiction, and by the laws thereof an action thereon cannot there be maintained against a person, by reason of the lapse of time, an action thereon shall not be maintained against th…