A. After perfection of a lien pursuant to this article, an owner, including any person who has a legal or equitable interest in the land that is subject to the lien, a mortgagee or any other lien creditor, either before or after the commencement of an action to foreclose the lien, may cause to be recorded in the office of the county recorder in the county in which the land is located a surety bond in the form described in subsection B of this section, together with a power of attorney disclosing the authority of the person executing the bond on behalf of the surety. On the recordation of the bond, the property shall be discharged of the lien whether or not a copy of the bond is served on the claimant or the claimant perfects the claimant’s rights against the bond.

Terms Used In Arizona Laws 33-1076

  • Action: includes any matter or proceeding in a court, civil or criminal. See Arizona Laws 1-215
  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
  • Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. Source:
  • Docket: A log containing brief entries of court proceedings.
  • Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. Source: U.S. Courts
  • Foreclosure: A legal process in which property that is collateral or security for a loan may be sold to help repay the loan when the loan is in default. Source: OCC
  • including: means not limited to and is not a term of exclusion. See Arizona Laws 1-215
  • Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
  • Mortgagee: The person to whom property is mortgaged and who has loaned the money.
  • Person: includes a corporation, company, partnership, firm, association or society, as well as a natural person. See Arizona Laws 1-215
  • Power of attorney: A written instrument which authorizes one person to act as another's agent or attorney. The power of attorney may be for a definite, specific act, or it may be general in nature. The terms of the written power of attorney may specify when it will expire. If not, the power of attorney usually expires when the person granting it dies. Source: OCC
  • Property: includes both real and personal property. See Arizona Laws 1-215
  • Statute: A law passed by a legislature.

B. A surety bond to discharge a lien perfected under this article shall be executed by the person seeking to discharge the lien, as principal, and by a surety company or companies holding a certificate of authority to transact surety business in this state that is issued by the director of the department of insurance and financial institutions pursuant to Title 20, Chapter 2, Article 1. The bond is for the sole protection of the claimant who perfected the lien. Notwithstanding any other statute, the surety bond shall not be executed by individual surety or sureties, even if the requirements of section 7-101 are satisfied. The bond shall be in an amount equal to one and one-half times the claim secured by the lien and shall be conditioned for the payment of the judgment that would have been rendered against the property for the enforcement of the lien. The legal description of the property and the docket and page of the lien sought to be discharged shall be set forth in the bond.

C. On recordation of the bond with the county recorder, the principal on the bond shall cause a copy of the bond to be served within a reasonable time on the lien claimant, and if a suit is then pending to foreclose the lien, the claimant, within ninety days after receipt of the bond, shall cause proceedings to be instituted to add the surety and the principal as parties to the lien foreclosure suit.

D. The bond shall be discharged and the principal and sureties shall be released on any of the following:

1. The failure of the lien claimant to commence a suit within the time allowed pursuant to section 33-1074.

2. The failure of the lien claimant to name the principal and sureties as parties to the action seeking foreclosure of the lien if a copy of the bond has been served on the claimant. If the bond is served on the claimant fewer than ninety days after the date the claimant would be required to commence an action pursuant to section 33-1074, the claimant has ninety days after the date of receiving a copy of the bond to add the principal and the sureties as parties to the lien foreclosure suit.

3. The dismissal of the foreclosure suit with prejudice as to the claimant or the entry of judgment in a suit against the claimant.

E. In an action to foreclose a lien under this article, if a bond has been filed and served as prescribed by this section a judgment for the claimant on the bond shall be against the principal and the principal’s sureties and shall not be against the property.

F. If a copy of the bond is not served on the claimant as provided in subsection C of this section, the claimant has six months after the discovery of the bond to commence an action on the bond, except that no action may be commenced on the bond after two years from the date it was recorded as provided in this section.

G. The county recorder of the county in which the bond and contract are recorded shall index the bond and contract under the index classification in which commercial real estate broker liens are recorded.

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