What is a lis pendens? (CCP § 405.21) A lis pendens – also called a notice of pendency of action – is a special type of legal document filed with a county recorder. Though its use is limited to lawsuits involving real property claims, its effect is powerful.
If an annotation has been wrongfully placed or needs to be lifted (e.g., after paying off a mortgage or resolving a legal dispute), the property owner must file the appropriate documents with the Registry of Deeds to clear the title. This may require a court order or formal release from the concerned party.
The Court of Appeals stated that based on existing jurisprudence, a certificate of title may be annulled or cancelled by the court under the following grounds: (1) when the title is void because (a) it was procured through fraud, (b) it was issued for a land already covered by a prior Torrens title, (c) it covers land ...
To annotate a notice of lis pendens, the following elements must be present: (a) the property must be of such character as to be subject to the rule; (b) the court must have jurisdiction both over the person and the res; and (c) the property or res involved must be sufficiently described in the pleadings.
Other than resolution of the pending lawsuit, the only way to remove a lis pendens is by expungement, which requires a court order from a circuit judge. If you refuse service or the action is otherwise delayed, the lis pendens remains intact, making it difficult to sell or otherwise transfer a property.
Removing a Lis Pendens in California Other than resolution of the pending lawsuit, the only way to remove a lis pendens is by expungement, which requires a court order from a circuit judge.
Cancellation of lis pendens. Before final judgment, a notice of lis pendens may be cancelled upon order of the court, after proper showing that the notice is for the purpose of molesting the adverse party, or that it is not necessary to protect the rights of the party who caused it to be registered.
There is no specific time frame for how long a lis pendens is valid. Rather, a lis pendens is valid until it is expunged or the underlying case is resolved. If not expunged, a lis pendens is often removed as part of a settlement agreement reached between the parties.
A Lis Pendens is filed with the County Recorder in the county where the piece of property that the law suit involves is located. When any document is recorded with the County Recorder, it puts the world on notice of its contents.
California Code of Civil Procedure section 405.30 allows a property owner to remove a lis pendens by bringing a “motion to expunge.” There are several bases for a motion to expunge, including: (1) the lack of a real property claim, (2) the claimant's failure to establish a “probable validity of their claim, or (3) the ...