In one sentence
A recorded notice that litigation affecting a property's title is pending, warning potential buyers and lenders of the dispute.
The longer version
A lis pendens puts the world on notice that a lawsuit could affect title to a property. Recorded in the land records, it clouds title and typically must be resolved before a clean transaction can close.
Lenders and title companies search for lis pendens in diligence, because an unresolved one can block insurable title.
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