614.21  Foreclosure of ancient mortgages.
  No action shall be maintained to foreclose or enforce any real estate mortgage, bond for deed, trust deed, or contract for the sale or conveyance of real estate, after twenty years from the date thereof, as shown by the record of such instrument, unless the record of such instrument shows that less than ten years have elapsed since the date of maturity of the indebtedness or part thereof, secured thereby, or since the right of action has accrued thereon, or unless the record shows an extension of the maturity of the instrument or of the debt or a part thereof, and that ten years from the expiration of the time of such extension have not yet expired. The date of maturity, when different than as appears by the record of the instrument, and the date of maturity of any extension of said indebtedness or part thereof, may be shown at any time prior to the expiration of the above periods of limitation by the holder of the debt or the owner or assignee of the instrument filing an extension agreement, duly acknowledged as the original instrument was required to be acknowledged, in the office of the recorder where the instrument is recorded.
  From and after July 4, 1946, this section shall also apply to any instrument of the kind described in this section which is not of record but which is described or referred to in any other instrument which is filed of record and the limitation shall be ten years from the due date of the instrument referred to if disclosed in the record and if not so disclosed then within ten years from the date of the record of the instrument containing such reference.
[S13, §3447-c; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, §11028; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §614.21]
2006 Acts, ch 1031, §14