A lis pendens, or Notice of Pendency of Action, is a legal notice which is filed with the recorder’s office that provides notice that there is legal action pending against the parcel of real property at issue. This area of law can be complicated, but at a minimum, it is important to understand that a lis pendens action can prevent sales and other legal transactions with respect to your real property, as the property will be found to not have “clear title” upon a basic title search. A California real estate attorney can help you and your business resolve all matters related to lis pendens notices.
The Basics of Lis Pendens in California
In much the same way that a recorded property deed gives notice of an ownership interest, a Notice of Pendency of Action gives notice of a legal interest in real property. Both types of notice are considered to be “constructive”. This means that even if a third party does not actually find the recorded notice, he or she could have with a simple search and is legally deemed to have received notice of the action. The third party is therefore bound to the notice whether or not it was actually discovered.