State of Arizona foreclosure law summary

Arizona Laws
Important Note: I am not a foreclosure lawyer; if you are facing foreclosure, you should consult with a Prescott or Prescott Valley real estate and foreclosure attorney.
You can streamline the process by familiarizing yourself with the Actual Statutes: Arizona State Revised Statutes Title 33: Property.
State of Arizona foreclosure law summary
Judicial Foreclosure Available: Yes
Non-Judicial Foreclosure Available: Yes
Primary Security Instruments: Deed of Trust, Mortgage
Timeline: Typically 90 days
Right of Redemption: None
Deficiency Judgments Allowed: Varies
In Arizona, lenders may foreclose on deeds of trusts or mortgages in default using either a judicial or non-judicial foreclosure process.
Judicial Foreclosure
The judicial process of foreclosure, which involves filing a lawsuit to obtain a court order to foreclose, is used when no power of sale is present in the mortgage or deed of trust. Generally, after the court declares a foreclosure, your home will be auctioned off to the highest bidder.
Non-Judicial Foreclosure
The non-judicial process of foreclosure is used when a power of sale clause exists in a mortgage or deed of trust. A “power of sale” clause is the clause in a deed of trust or mortgage, in which the borrower pre-authorizes the sale of property to pay off the balance on a loan in the event of the their default. In deeds of trust or mortgages where a power of sale exists, the power given to the lender to sell the property may be executed by the lender or their representative, typically referred to as the trustee. Regulations for this type of foreclosure process are outlined below in the “Power of Sale Foreclosure Guidelines”.
Power of Sale Foreclosure Guidelines
If the deed of trust or mortgage contains a power of sale clause and specifies the time, place and terms of sale, then the specified procedure must be followed. Otherwise, the non-judicial power of sale foreclosure is carried out as follows:
The trustee must record a notice of sale in the office of the recorder of the county where the property is located. Within five (5) days after the notice is recorded, the trustee must mail, by certified mail, a copy of the notice of sale to each of the people who are parties to the trust deed, except for himself. Additionally, the notice must appear in a newspaper in the county where the property is located once a week for four (4) consecutive weeks, with the last notice being published not less than ten (10) days prior to the date of the sale.
Optionally, if it can be done without a breach of the peace, the trustee can post the notice at least twenty (20) days prior to the date of the sale, in some conspicuous place on the property to be sold and/or he or she can post the notice at the courthouse or at a specified place at the place of business of the trustee in the county in which the property is located.
The trustee or the trustee’s agent must conduct the sale. The sale is for cash to the highest bidder, except that the lender can make a “credit bid,” which means to cancel out some part (or all) of the money the borrower owed the lender on the lean, instead of paying cash. A successful high bidder must pay the bid price by 5 pm of the day after the bid, other than a Saturday or legal holiday. Every bid is an irrevocable offer until the sale is completed, which happens when the bidder pays the bid price to the trustee’s satisfaction. If the high bidder fails to make the payment by 5:00 pm, the day after being notified of the option to buy, then the trustee may postpone the sale.
The trustee may postpone the sale to another time, or another place, by giving notice of the new date, time and place by public declaration at the last place and time the property was offered for sale. No other notice is required. A trustee may also, by written agreement, extend the time for a buyer to come up with the payment.
Once the sale is complete, the proceeds will go to the payment of the obligations secured by the deed of trust that was foreclosed, then to junior lien holders in order of their priority. The successful bidder gets a trustee’s deed, which provides conclusive evidence that the trustee conducted the foreclosure sale property.
A note regarding Deficiency Suits: A lender may not bring a deficiency suit against a person who lost a property that is 2.5 acres or less at a foreclosure, provided the property was a single one-family or a single two-family dwelling. This is so even if the high bid at foreclosure was less that the balance due on the loan. However, in foreclosures against other types of property, a deficiency suit is allowed, but is limited to the difference between the balance owed and the fair market value of the property, and then only if the suit is brought within ninety (90) days of the power of sale foreclosure.
To Reference the Actual Statutes: Arizona State Revised Statutes Title 33: Property
Other references from the web:
Foreclosure and The Right of Reinstatement
Information Videos from LegalInfo.com on Foreclosure
Bankruptcy Helpers, Inc., Arizona Law Firm Specializing in Foreclosures and Bankruptcy






Thanks for your comment, Robert. I think if you read the entirety of my blog you will see that I try to post the current news and views about the market. You are welcome to post your analysis of what the market will do. My readers welcome input from all sides.
Thank you! This is just what I was looking for. Keep up the great work!
[...] How to help speed up a short sale tips [...]
Great blog post. The media will never pick up on this because it is more complicated than a soundbite.
If I may add that with the number of outstanding loans that are scheduled to reset in the next couple of years, decreasing home values and stricter lending guidelines, the rate of foreclosures are on track to peak in 2010. Short sales have become a growing niche for Real Estate Agents to sell homes before they become bank owned.
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1/3 on the market are foreclosed or short sales – wow. It’s nice that you research this information. The agents who represent home sellers prob don’t share that info with buyers. Take care.
Dear Patrick,
Great article! I agree with you. I also would like to add couple more alternatives to those homeowners who want to stay in their homes.
There are two products those aren’t widely knowing and common in the market place. Trsutee Foreclosure Delays and Loan Re-Write.
Did you know that Homeowners are illegally being foreclosed on especially in Trustee States?
In Judicial Foreclosure states, a judge reviews the legality of the foreclosure proceedings to ensure the homeowner is being protected against greedy lenders and yet still the lenders are not properly following the foreclosure laws correctly (see this article: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/31/nyregion/31judge.html?_r=2).
In Trustee States, lenders employ a “third party” trustee company to replace the legal function of a judge and orchestrate the foreclosure process. If banks are not legally foreclosing when they know a judge reviews the case what do you think they are doing when they only have to go through a trustee that they pay? And what is more interesting, the trustee company is liable for the foreclosure proceedings but who is going after the trustee companies to review the legality of these foreclosure packages? You guess it! Yes, No one is..!
Did you know that a loan Re-Write program has the ability to reduce homeowner’s current loan balance down to the current market value at prime + 3%?
Here is an example: You owe $500K on your home but it is only worth $350k. Investors will bulk purchase the note from your current lender and re-write it back to you at $350k, saving you (the homeowner) over $150k!
I hope this helps!
To find out more about our services you may want to visit http://ASNDinc.com/
Yamen Elasadi
yamen@ASNDinc.com
Arizona Unemployment Trends – September 2009
Arizona Unemployment Trends Visualized as a Heat Map:
Arizona Unemployment in September 2009 (BLS data)
http://www.localetrends.com/st/az_arizona_unemployment.php?MAP_TYPE=curr_ue
versus Arizona Unemployment Levels 1 year ago
http://www.localetrends.com/st/az_arizona_unemployment.php?MAP_TYPE=m12_ue
[...] How to help speed up a short sale tips [...]
[...] How to help speed up a short sale tips [...]
This is good news… Foreclosure market needs movement to make more money and start leaving this situation
that’s good to hear. when you are experiencing foreclosure, you need the help of reliable real estate agents. when you are looking for them you may visit this site:
REALTOR
[...] How to help speed up a short sale tips [...]
[...] How to help speed up a short sale tips [...]
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Considering, finding the right foreclosure home is the most essential step involved while buying a foreclosure some research should be done ahead of time before finding the most affordable home.
[...] See: Why short sales aren’t always a good deal. [...]
[...] Considering making an offer in today’s distressed home marketplace in Prescott or Prescott Valley? See: Top 10 tips to win the REO multiple offer game. [...]
[...] Foreclosures are still cranking in the U.S [...]
[...] 31% of Phoenix area home sales are foreclosures in March down from 51% in Feb [...]
[...] How to help speed up a short sale tips [...]
[...] See: Why short sales aren’t always a good deal. [...]
[...] Considering making an offer in today’s distressed home marketplace in Prescott or Prescott Valley? See: Top 10 tips to win the REO multiple offer game. [...]
[...] See: Why short sales aren’t always a good deal. [...]
[...] Considering making an offer in today’s distressed home marketplace in Prescott or Prescott Valley? See: Top 10 tips to win the REO multiple offer game. [...]
[...] How to help speed up a short sale tips [...]
[...] How to help speed up a short sale tips [...]
[...] How to help speed up a short sale tips [...]
[...] See: Why short sales aren’t always a good deal. [...]