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.
However, once any litigation has been resolved, a lis pendens can be removed through a Florida Release of Lis Pendens. This legal document will formally remove the lis pendens so that the property title is clear.
Short Answer: After filing a lis pendens, property sales may stall due to legal disputes impacting the title. Misfiling can result in sanctions or slander of title damages. Removal involves court-ordered expungement or voluntary discharge.
If someone has filed a Lis Pendens notice (which alerts others that there is a pending lawsuit involving a property), any party involved in the lawsuit can: Ask the court to remove the notice (e.g. Motion to Expunge). Notify all affected parties at least 20 days before the court hearing.
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.
REMOVING A LIS PENDENS losing party acted with substantial justification. A lis pendens may also be removed voluntarily. A claimant may remove the lis pendens by recording, filing and serving a notice of withdrawal. Code of Civil Procedure §405.50.
Section 12.0071 - Motion to Expunge Lis Pendens (a) A party to an action in connection with which a notice of lis pendens has been filed may: (1) apply to the court to expunge the notice; and (2) file evidence, including declarations, with the motion to expunge the notice.
Lis pendens is a formal notice that there is a pending action, or lawsuit, that could affect the title of the property. However, it serves an even bigger purpose. When a lis pendens is filed, any future transfers of the property are affected by the pending action if it were to be awarded.