1. When a petition or municipal infraction citation affecting real estate is indexed pursuant to section 617.10, either action shall be considered pending so as to charge all third persons with notice of its pendency, and while pending no interest can be acquired by third persons in the subject matter thereof as against the plaintiff‘s rights.

Terms Used In Iowa Code 617.11

  • Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
  • following: when used by way of reference to a chapter or other part of a statute mean the next preceding or next following chapter or other part. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
  • person: means individual, corporation, limited liability company, government or governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust, partnership or association, or any other legal entity. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
  • property: includes personal and real property. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • Record: means information that is inscribed on a tangible medium or that is stored in an electronic or other medium and is retrievable in perceivable form. See Iowa Code 651.1
  • Records: includes probate and other official public records, as well as records in the office of the county recorder. See Iowa Code 614.29
 2. If a claim of interest against the property is acquired prior to the indexing of a petition affecting real estate and filed by anyone other than a city and such claim is not indexed or filed of record prior to the indexing of the petition, it is subject to the pending action as provided in subsection 1, unless any of the following occurs:

 a. The claimant intervenes in the pending action prior to entry of judgment.
 b. The claimant, prior to transfer of an interest in the property to a bona fide third-party transferee, records an affidavit showing that the party seeking relief under the pending action had, prior to the indexing of the petition, actual notice of the claim of interest and of the identity of the claimant.
 3. If a claim of interest against the property is acquired prior to the indexing of a petition or municipal infraction citation affecting real estate and filed by a city and such claim is not indexed or filed of record prior to the indexing of the petition or citation, it is subject to the pending action as provided in subsection 1, unless either of the following occurs:

 a. The claimant intervenes in the pending action and obtains relief from the court prior to entry of judgment.
 b. Within ninety days after entry of judgment, the claimant files an application to reopen a petition or municipal infraction citation affecting real estate and filed by a city and proves at the hearing on the application that the claimant is entitled to relief because the city had actual notice of the claim of interest and of the identity of the claimant prior to the indexing of the petition or citation.
 4. Subsections 2 and 3 shall not apply to a mechanic’s lien filed pursuant to chapter 572 or to a person who has taken possession of the property for value prior to the indexing of the petition or citation.
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