Iowa Code ch. 570 § 570.10
Action barred by payment of rent
Operative Text
The payment of the rent for the lands upon which such grain or other annual products were raised at or before the time the same falls due, shall be a bar to any prosecution under section 570.9 and no prosecution shall be commenced until such rent be wholly due.
Iowa Code ch. 570 § 570.10 establishes a timing and payment-based limitation on enforcement actions related to crop liens. Specifically, if a tenant pays the full rent owed for the land where grain or other annual crops were grown by the time that rent comes due, no prosecution under § 570.9 can proceed. Additionally, even if rent remains unpaid, no prosecution may be initiated until the rent is entirely past due.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Iowa Code ch. 570 § 570.10, a landlord who receives full rent payment on or before its due date loses the ability to pursue a criminal prosecution under § 570.9 against a tenant for that rental period. Compliant operators generally track rent due dates carefully and confirm whether payment has been received before initiating any enforcement action related to crop proceeds. Because prosecution is also barred until rent is wholly due, landlords typically wait until a payment obligation is completely past due before taking any formal steps.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Iowa Code ch. 570 § 570.10 provides tenants with a meaningful defense: if rent for the cropland was paid in full by its due date, any prosecution brought under § 570.9 is barred by law. Tenants who have made timely and complete rent payments may be able to raise this provision as a defense if a prosecution is initiated against them. Tenant-rights organizations or legal aid services can help tenants understand how this protection applies and what documentation of payment may be relevant.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 18, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
Effective Timeline
References In
Rules and statutes that cite this regulation