A lis pendens is a notice recorded with the county clerk announcing that a lawsuit affecting the property, usually a foreclosure, is pending. It does not take your home; it publicly flags that the title is in dispute.
Lenders record a lis pendens when they file the foreclosure complaint. Its legal job is to warn anyone who might buy or lend against the property that a case exists, which is why it makes ordinary sales and refinances harder but not impossible. It is also a public record, which is why letters and postcards from investors, "rescue" companies, and attorneys start arriving in your mailbox shortly after one is filed.
Two practical points. First, a lis pendens means the court process has started, so your 35-day window to answer the complaint is running or about to run: check the papers you were served, not the mail from strangers. Second, the property can still be sold before any sheriff sale; buyers purchase homes with a lis pendens routinely, and the foreclosure is paid off and dismissed at closing. Treat the mail avalanche as a calendar reminder, not as your list of options.
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Educational information, not legal advice. Your own court documents control your deadlines; a licensed New Jersey attorney can confirm what applies to your case.