A wrongfully filed lis pendens can be removed by the judge in the case in which it was filed. The party seeking to remove it must file a motion and address why the lis pendens is improper under Florida law.
(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 ...
The titleholder can sell a property and transfer the deed to someone else while subject to a lis pendens. However, most title companies will not provide insurance for homes with a lis pendens, and closing agents may close with the lien being bonded.
Ing to Florida Statute Section 48.23, a lis pendens must have a caption with the names of all the parties, the date of the action, description of the property and statement of the relief being sought. There is a Supreme Court approved form, and it should be used.
The titleholder can sell a property and transfer the deed to someone else while subject to a lis pendens. However, most title companies will not provide insurance for homes with a lis pendens, and closing agents may close with the lien being bonded.
(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 ...
But a wrongful lis pendens is still recorded in the public records and affects the title to the property for a time. So in order to get rid of a wrongful lis pendens the defendant in the lawsuit must file a motion to dissolve the lis pendens and bring that before the judge in a hearing.
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.
Lis pendens are used most often in cases of divorce and foreclosure. For example, if a divorcing couple cannot agree on how to divide their interest in the marital home, one spouse may file a lis pendens in order to keep the other spouse from trying to sell the house until the divorce is settled.
How to File a Notice of Lis Pendens Name of the parties. Date of the institution of the action, the date of the clerk's electronic receipt, or the case number of the action. The name of the court in which it is pending. A description of the property involved or to be affected.