(a)  No proceeding in court, hereafter taken, whether by filing bill, petition, declaration, or other complaint, or by rule of court or otherwise, and no final order, decree, or judgment, concerning the title to any real estate, in this state, or to any interest or easement therein, shall affect the title (except as to parties thereto and their heirs and devisees, and those having actual notice thereof) as to any rights acquired before notice of the filing, or entry of the notice shall be recorded in the records of land evidence in the town or city where the real estate is situated; the notice to be copied in a book duly indexed and kept for that purpose. The notice shall briefly state the names of all the parties, the court wherein filed, the date of filing, and the substance of the bill, petition, declaration or other complaint, rule, order, decree, or judgment, and a description of the real estate thereby affected, so as far as may be necessary to warn any person subsequently dealing with the title to the land.

Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 9-4-9

  • Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • person: may be construed to extend to and include co-partnerships and bodies corporate and politic. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-6
  • real estate: may be construed to include lands, tenements, and hereditaments and rights thereto and interests therein. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-10
  • town: may be construed to include city; the words "town council" include city council; the words "town clerk" include city clerk; the words "ward clerk" include clerk of election district; the words "town treasurer" include city treasurer; and the words "town sergeant" include city sergeant. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-9

(b)  Any person causing such notice to be recorded shall, within seven (7) days of the recording, cause a copy of said notice to be mailed, regular mail, postage prepaid to all parties named in the bill, petition, declaration or other complaint, rule, order, decree, or judgment at their last known address. Failure to comply with this provision shall not invalidate the lis pendens.

History of Section.
C.P.A. 1905, § 439; G.L. 1909, ch. 294, § 13; G.L. 1923, ch. 344, § 13; G.L. 1938, ch. 439, § 1; P.L. 1940, ch. 942, § 1; G.L. 1956, § 9-4-9; P.L. 1988, ch. 85, § 1.