Lis pendens

Latin for ‘suit pending’, it is a written notice that a lawsuit has been filed concerning real estate, involving either the title to the property or a claimed ownership interest in it. The notice is usually filed in the county land records office. Recording a lis pendens against a piece of property alerts a potential purchaser or lender that the property’s title is in question, which makes the property less attractive to a buyer or a lender. After the notice is filed, anyone who nevertheless purchases the land or property described in the notice takes subject to the ultimate outcome of the lawsuit.