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lis pendens

Definitions from Case Law · United States Supreme Court

Definitions from Case Law

From 69 U.S. 237 - Miller v. Sherry · 1864Most cited · 91 citing opinions

To have that effect, a bill must be so definite in the description, that any one reading it can learn thereby what property is intended to be made the subject of litigation.

How the Supreme Court has restated “lis pendens”

18401860188019001907 most cited: 69 U.S. 237 - Miller v. Sherry (1864)
first stateddeparted

Each Supreme Court definition of “lis pendens,” sized by how often later courts cited it. “Change” is measured by wording overlap with earlier definitions — a rough signal, not a semantic judgment.

How often courts cite the cases defining “lis pendens”

1840185019001950200047

Court decisions citing the 3 opinions that defined “lis pendens” — 224 in all, by decade. Counts are citations to the defining cases as a whole, not verified uses of the term. The dip in the most recent years is a data-coverage gap, not a real trend — our corpus holds fewer opinions from the latest years.

All 3 definitions, chronological · 1840–1907

  1. ORIGINAL

    the pendency of the suit against Buchanan and his heirs, could in no sense be held constructive notice to Sterling, in receiving the deed from Buchanan, after the commencement of the suit, unless the process had been served, or publication made, before such deed was executed.

    requires service or publication

  2. 1907·206 U.S. 358 - Romeu v. Todd[p2]· cited 70×

    A third party in good faith purchasing from or dealing with the registered owner of real estate, without notice in fact of the existence of a pending suit concerning the title to property, was not to be treated by operation of law as constructively notified of the pendency of the suit unless the cautionary notice which the law of Porto Rico required to be put upon the record was given.

    Porto Rico