A lis pendens must be filed with both the county recorder and the circuit court clerk. After the action has reached pending status, the lis pendens must be drafted and submitted to the county recorder to be recorded for public record. This does not end this part of the process.
There is no specific time frame for how long a lis pendens is valid. Rather, a lis pendens is valid until it is expunged or the underlying case is resolved. If not expunged, a lis pendens is often removed as part of a settlement agreement reached between the parties.
The Lis Pendens is a public notification that the property is being foreclosed upon. If the homeowner attempts to sell the property or get a second mortgage, the title search will reveal the Lis Pendens and notify any interested party that the property's title is in question due to the pending foreclosure.
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.
That means the house is "frozen" or cannot be sold, refinanced, transferred, until the lawsuit is settled, or the case is tried with a final judgment signed by the judge. Then once the case is over, the attorney who placed the Lis Pendens will be required to remove it. Only after that happens can the house be sold.
File a request with the court to remove the lis pendens. Provide the legal reasons the lis pendens is improper, offering proof, for example, that the lis pendens affects real estate that is not connected to the litigation. If the lawsuit is frivolous and merely intended to harass the property owner, offer proof.
(a) The Northern District comprises the counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Monterey, Napa, San Benito, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Sonoma. Court for the Northern District shall be held at Eureka, Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose.
Where to file by City, ZIP code CityZIP Code(s)Your courthouse is Hilltop Mall 94806 George D. Carroll Courthouse, Richmond Knightsen 94548 Richard E. Arnason Justice Center, Pittsburg Lafayette 94549 Wakefield Taylor Courthouse, Martinez Martinez 94553 Wakefield Taylor Courthouse, Martinez32 more rows
Where to file by City, ZIP code CityZIP Code(s)Your courthouse is Pleasant Hill 94523 Wakefield Taylor Courthouse, Martinez Point Richmond 94801 George D. Carroll Courthouse, Richmond Port Costa 94569 Wakefield Taylor Courthouse, Martinez Richmond 94530, 94801 - 94808, 94820, 94850 George D. Carroll Courthouse, Richmond32 more rows