Obtaining A Property Execution. A lis pendens is a latin term and is defined as, "a pending legal action, or a notice thereof." In the real estate world, it means a notice, filed in a court. Suffolk County reserves the right to take any appropriate civil or criminal action to enforce the provisions of this Agreement. A lis pendens is a filing only providing notice that a lawsuit involving a dispute over ownership to real estate is being litigated. Lis Pendens is a legal term meaning "lawsuit pending" and serves as a public notice filed against a property involved in litigation. It may be filed only in a Pennsylvania magisterial district court and not in the Philadelphia Municipal Court. The mortgage was recorded in the Suffolk County Clerk's Office on May 1,2003.