if @removed
  status_message = "Removed #{@successor.description} as dependency from #{@predecessor.description}."
  page.notify :notice, status_message, 5.0
  
  # replace old predecessor with one without the successor
  page.replace dom_id(@predecessor), :partial => 'todos/todo', :locals => { 
    :todo => @predecessor, :parent_container_type => parent_container_type }
 
  # update display if pending->active
  if @successor.active?
      page[@successor].remove unless source_view_is_one_of(:todo, :context)
      page.insert_html :bottom, item_container_id(@successor), :partial => 'todos/todo', :locals => { 
        :todo => @successor, :parent_container_type => parent_container_type }
      page.visual_effect :highlight, dom_id(@successor, 'line'), {'startcolor' => "'#99ff99'"}
  end
  
  # update display if pending->deferred
  if @successor.deferred?
      page.replace dom_id(@successor), :partial => 'todos/todo', :locals => { 
        :todo => @successor, :parent_container_type => parent_container_type }
  end
  page << "enable_rich_interaction();"
else
  page.notify :error, "There was an error removing the dependency", 8.0
end