Following the formal recording of a lis pendens, meaning “suit pending,” the public record reflects a potential claim against a specific piece of real property. This notice serves to alert prospective buyers, lenders, and other interested parties that the property is the subject of ongoing litigation that could affect its ownership or use. For example, a property involved in a foreclosure dispute, a boundary line disagreement, or an ownership claim may have a lis pendens filed against it.
The primary benefit of recording a notice of pending action is to protect the plaintiff’s interests in the property. It effectively freezes the status of the property, preventing the defendant from selling, transferring, or encumbering it without the plaintiff’s knowledge. This ensures that any judgment obtained in the lawsuit can be enforced against the property. Historically, this mechanism developed to prevent defendants from frustrating the legal process by disposing of assets before a judgment could be rendered.
