The suit or proceeding must be pending before a competent court of jurisdiction. A right to immovable property is directly or specifically involved in the suit. The suit or proceeding must not be collusive. The property in dispute must be transferred or otherwise dealt with by any party to suit.
A notice of lis pendens must contain the following: a. The names of the parties. b. The date of the institution of the action, the date of the clerk's electronic receipt, or the case number of the action. c. The name of the court in which it is pending. d. A description of the property involved or to be affected. e.
Submit the completed notice to the local recording office. It should identify the parties, the subject property, details about the lawsuit, including the court, case number(s), relevant dates, and other information as needed for the situation.
A lis pendens is a common tool used in Florida to put third parties on notice of a pending lawsuit against real estate. If filed properly, a lis pendens protects the plaintiff in a lawsuit from any intervening liens on the property filed after the lis pendens.
The doctrine requires more than a mere allegation of a pending suit; it requires proof the prior case is the same, the parties are substantially the same, and the relief requested is the same. This three-pronged identity test must be strictly applied when a party seeks to dismiss a claim under the doctrine.
In Latin, the term lis pendens means pending litigation; it is a legal notice recorded for the public disclosure that a lawsuit is ongoing and claims a specific property. Such an action is called a “notice of pendency of action” under California Code of Civil Procedure § 405.2.
(2) A notice of lis pendens is not effectual for any purpose beyond 1 year from the commencement of the action and will expire at that time, unless the relief sought is disclosed by the pending pleading to be founded on a duly recorded instrument or on a lien claimed under part I of chapter 713 against the property ...
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.
So in reality, while a lis pendens does not technically prevent a land sale, the average buyer likely will not buy the parcel. This is true because the lis pendens will prevent them from obtaining clear title and preclude them from becoming a bona fide purchaser.
A lis pendens can be challenged if it is not “founded on a duly recorded instrument.” When a pending pleading does not show that an action is “founded on a duly recorded instrument,” a court may control and discharge the recorded notice of lis pendens.