Opinion ID: 2567660
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: award of attorney fees and costs under the lis pendens statute

Text: ¶40 The district court, on summary judgment, ordered removal of the notice of lis pendens from the Parents' residence and awarded fees and costs to the Parents. We find no error in the district court's analysis and affirm the award and order to remove the lis pendens. ¶41 Utah Code section 78-40-2 authorizes a party to record a lis pendens or notice of an action pending [i]n any action affecting the title to, or the right of possession of, real property. [29] Section 78-40-2.5 provides property owners or parties to the action with a procedure with which to secure a release of the lis pendens under certain circumstances. [30] In such an action, section 78-40-2.5 requires that the court shall order a [lis pendens] released if . . . the court finds that the claimant has not established by a preponderance of the evidence the probable validity of the real property claim that is the subject of the [lis pendens]. [31] Furthermore, the statute provides for the award of attorney fees and costs to the prevailing party unless the nonprevailing party acted with substantial justification; or . . . other circumstances make the imposition of attorney fees and costs unjust. [32] ¶42 In this case, the Trusts never alleged any claim affecting title to or possession of the Parents' residence. Furthermore, at the time of the hearing on the action to remove the lis pendens, the Trusts did not have a judgment related to either the residence or the Property, Judge Schofield having advised the parties that he would reconsider the accounting award before entering a final order. The district court correctly held that the Trusts proceeded without substantial justification to litigate their right to leave a notice on the title of the Parents' residential property. We affirm the district court's grant of summary judgment in favor of the Parents for fees and costs related to removing the lis pendens from the Parents' residential property.