What indicates a possible future lien against a property?

A lis pendens is a legal notice that a lawsuit has been filed regarding a property, which indicates there may be a potential future lien against that property. It essentially serves as a warning to interested parties that the property is subject to litigation, and thus, any outcome of that litigation may lead to monetary claims against the property. This notice is often used in cases of foreclosure, divorce, or disputes over property ownership, suggesting that the rights to the property might be under contention.

In contrast, a notice of default typically signifies that a borrower is behind on mortgage payments, indicating a risk of foreclosure but not necessarily a lien on the property itself yet. A claim of lien directly asserts a lien exists, indicating a debt that must be settled, rather than suggesting a potential future lien. A title search is a process used to determine the legal status of a property but does not itself indicate the possibility of a future lien. Each of these other options serves a different purpose in the realm of real estate law and does not function as a direct alert to impending liens like a lis pendens does.