A lis pendens is a document that is filed in the public records that alerts the world that someone is asserting claim over the property. A lis pendens, Latin for "lawsuit pending," is a written notice to the public that a lawsuit has been filed involving a piece of real estate.A lis pendens is a common tool used in Florida to put third parties on notice of a pending lawsuit against real estate. A list pendens is a legal document filed in Pennsylvania to notify the public that a property is involved in a lawsuit. A lis pendens is a written notice that a lawsuit has been filed which affects title to real property or some interest in that real property. A trial court has discretion to require the person who filed the lis pendens to post a bond to protect the property owner from damages.