Notice of pendency of actions affecting real property: Hearing; cancellation; bond.
1. After a notice of pendency of an action has been recorded with the recorder of the county, the defendant or, if affirmative relief is claimed in the answer, the plaintiff, may request that the court hold a hearing on the notice, and such a hearing must be set as soon as is practicable, taking precedence over all other civil matters except a motion for a preliminary injunction.
2. Upon 15 days’ notice, the party who recorded the notice of pendency of the action must appear at the hearing and, through affidavits and other evidence which the court may permit, establish to the satisfaction of the court that:
(a) The action is for the foreclosure of a mortgage upon the real property described in the notice or affects the title or possession of the real property described in the notice;
(b) The action was not brought in bad faith or for an improper motive;
(c) He will be able to perform any conditions precedent to the relief sought in the action insofar as it affects the title or possession of the real property; and
(d) He would be injured by any transfer of an interest in the property before the action is concluded.
3. In addition to the matters enumerated in subsection 2, the party who recorded the notice must establish to the satisfaction of the court either:
(a) That he is likely to prevail in the action; or
(b) That he has a fair chance of success on the merits in the action and the injury described in paragraph (d) of subsection 2 would be sufficiently serious that the hardship on him in the event of a transfer would be greater than the hardship on the defendant resulting from the notice of pendency,
Ê and that if he prevails he will be entitled to relief affecting the title or possession of the real property.
4. The party opposing the notice of the pendency of an action may submit counter-affidavits and other evidence which the court permits.
5. If the court finds that the party who recorded the notice of pendency of the action has failed to establish any of the matters required by subsection 2, the court shall order the cancellation of the notice of pendency and shall order the party who recorded the notice to record with the recorder of the county a copy of the order of cancellation. The order must state that the cancellation has the same effect as an expungement of the original notice.
6. If the court finds that the party who recorded the notice of pendency of the action has established the matters required by subsection 2, the party opposing the notice may request the court to determine whether a bond in an amount to be determined by the court would provide adequate security for any damages which the party who recorded the notice might incur if the notice were so cancelled and the party opposing the notice did not prevail in the action. If the court determines that a bond would provide adequate security, the party opposing the notice may post a bond or other security in the amount determined by the court. The court shall then order the cancellation of the notice of pendency and shall order the party opposing the notice to record with the recorder of the county a copy of the order of cancellation. The order must state that the cancellation has the same effect as an expungement of the original notice.
Last modified: February 26, 2006