Legal Definitions - constructive notice

Constructive notice is a legal concept that assumes someone has received notice, even if they haven't actually received it. This happens when certain procedures have been followed, and the law considers the person to have received notice. This is different from actual notice, which is when someone has received notice in reality.

• If a property is sold and the deed is registered with the government, anyone who wants to buy the property in the future is assumed to have constructive notice of the sale. This means they are legally considered to have known about the sale, even if they didn't actually know.
• If there is a pending lawsuit that could affect someone's interest, they are assumed to have constructive notice of the lawsuit. This means they are legally considered to have known about the lawsuit, even if they didn't actually know.

These examples illustrate how constructive notice works. Even if someone didn't actually know about the sale or the lawsuit, they are still considered to have known because of the legal procedures that were followed.