A notice of pendency shall be effective for a period of three years from the date of filing. Before expiration of a period or extended period, the court, upon motion of the plaintiff and upon such notice as it may require, for good cause shown, may grant an extension for a like additional period.
A notice of pendency (also known as a lis pendens ) is a written notice of a judicial proceeding that affects the ownership of property.
Said Lis Pendens remains as long as the action is pending, unless it is voluntarily withdrawn or expunged (wipe out - erase) by motion to the court. Caution should still be used even if the Lis Pendens is removed since danger may still exist for a Title Company.
To file a Lis Pendens in Texas, the party initiating the lawsuit must follow procedures outlined in the Texas Property Code. This includes submitting a declarative affidavit to the county clerk's office where the property is located. The affidavit must generally contain: Names of the parties involved.
A lis pendens has no life of its own apart from the lawsuit that underlies it. If there is no lawsuit, there can be no valid lis pendens. “A lis pendens operates only during the pendency of the underlying suit, and only as to those matters that are involved in the suit.
(b) The party filing a lis pendens or the party's agent or attorney shall sign the lis pendens, which must state: (1) the style and number, if any, of the proceeding; (2) the court in which the proceeding is pending; (3) the names of the parties; (4) the kind of proceeding; and (5) a description of the property ...
Expunging a Lis Pendens This can happen if the party believes that the lis pendens was improperly filed or if the underlying lawsuit has been resolved. Court Hearing: If a party seeks expungement, the court will conduct a hearing to determine whether the lis pendens should be canceled.
File a request with the court to remove the lis pendens. Provide the legal reasons the lis pendens is improper, offering proof, for example, that the lis pendens affects real estate that is not connected to the litigation. If the lawsuit is frivolous and merely intended to harass the property owner, offer proof.
The reason for a Lis Pendens is to alert the world that the house is subject to legal action. That means the house is "frozen" or cannot be sold, refinanced, transferred, until the lawsuit is settled, or the case is tried with a final judgment signed by the judge.
The signature on the notice of release of a lis pendens must be notarized. The notice must then be recorded in the office of the county recorder for the county in which the original lis pendens was recorded.