HB2698 - 492R

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1. Section 33-1101, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE33-1101. Homestead exemptions; persons entitled to hold homesteads

A. Any person the age of eighteen or over, married or single, who resides within the state may hold as a homestead exempt from attachment, execution and forced sale, not exceeding one hundred fifty thousand dollars in value, any one of the following:

1. The person's interest in real property in one compact body upon on which exists a dwelling house in which the person resides.

2. The person's interest in one condominium or cooperative in which the person resides.

3. A mobile home in which the person resides.

4. A mobile home in which the person resides plus the land upon on which that mobile home is located.

B. Only one homestead exemption may be held by a married couple or a single person under this section. The value as specified in this section refers to the equity of a single person or married couple. If a married couple lived together in a dwelling house, a condominium or cooperative, a mobile home or a mobile home plus land on which the mobile home is located and are then divorced, the total exemption shall be allowed for that residence to either or both persons shall not exceed one hundred fifty thousand dollars in value.

C. The homestead exemption, not exceeding the value provided for in subsection A, automatically attaches to the person's interest in identifiable cash proceeds from the voluntary or involuntary sale of the property. The homestead exemption in identifiable cash proceeds continues for eighteen months after the date of the sale of the property or until the person establishes a new homestead with the proceeds, whichever period is shorter. Only one homestead exemption at a time may be held by a person under this section. END_STATUTE

Sec. 2. Section 33-1103, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE33-1103. Effective date of homestead exemption; extent of exemption; exceptions

A. The homestead provided for in section 33‑1101, subsection A is exempt from process and from sale under a judgment or lien, except:

1. A consensual lien, including a mortgage or deed of trust, or contract of conveyance.

2. A lien for labor or materials claimed pursuant to section 33‑981.

3. A lien for child support arrearages or spousal maintenance arrearages. An award of court ordered support is not a lien for the purposes of this paragraph unless one of the following applies:

(a) An arrearage has been reduced to judgment.

(b) A lien exists pursuant to section 25‑516.

4. To the extent that a judgment or other lien may be satisfied from the equity of the debtor exceeding the homestead exemption under section 33‑1101.

B. A sale as described in subsection A of this section and not excepted by subsection A, paragraph 1, 2, or 3 or 4 of this section is invalid and does not convey an interest in the homestead, whether made under a judgment existing before or after the homestead is established.

C. In a contempt proceeding brought to enforce payment of any form of child support or spousal maintenance, the court may consider the portion of property claimed as exempt pursuant to section 33‑1101, subsection A, as a resource from which an obligor has the ability to pay. END_STATUTE

Sec. 3. Repeal

Section 33-1105, Arizona Revised Statutes, is repealed.

Sec. 4. Section 33-1126, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE33-1126. Money benefits or proceeds; exception

A. The following property of a debtor shall be exempt from execution, attachment or sale on any process issued from any court:

1. All money received by or payable to a surviving spouse or child upon the life of a deceased spouse, parent or legal guardian, not exceeding twenty thousand dollars.

2. The earnings of the minor child of a debtor or the proceeds thereof by reason of any liability of such debtor not contracted for the special benefit of such minor child.

3. All monies received by or payable to a person entitled to receive child support or spousal maintenance pursuant to a court order.

4. All money, proceeds or benefits of any kind to be paid in a lump sum or to be rendered on a periodic or installment basis to the insured or any beneficiary under any policy of health, accident or disability insurance or any similar plan or program of benefits in use by any employer, except for premiums payable on such policy or debt of the insured secured by a pledge, and except for collection of any debt or obligation for which the insured or beneficiary has been paid under the plan or policy and except for payment of amounts ordered for support of a person from proceeds and benefits furnished in lieu of earnings which would have been subject to such order and subject to any exemption applicable to earnings so replaced.

5. All money arising from any claim for the destruction of, or damage to, exempt property and all proceeds or benefits of any kind arising from fire or other insurance upon any property exempt under this article.

6. The cash surrender value of life insurance policies where for a continuous unexpired period of two years such policies have been owned by a debtor and have named as beneficiary the debtor's surviving spouse, child, parent, brother or sister, or any other dependent family member, in the proportion that the policy names any such beneficiary, except that, subject to the statute of limitations, the amount of any premium which is recoverable or avoidable by a creditor pursuant to title 44, chapter 8, article 1, with interest thereon, shall not be exempt. The exemption provided by this paragraph does not apply to a claim for the payment of a debt of the insured or beneficiary that is secured by a pledge or assignment of the cash value of the insurance policy or the proceeds of the policy. For the purposes of this paragraph, "dependent" means a family member who is dependent on the insured debtor for not less than half support.

7. An annuity contract where for a continuous unexpired period of two years such contract has been owned by a debtor and has named as beneficiary the debtor, the debtor's surviving spouse, child, parent, brother or sister, or any other dependent family member, except that, subject to the statute of limitations, the amount of any premium, payment or deposit with respect to such contract is recoverable or avoidable by a creditor pursuant to title 44, chapter 8, article 1 shall not be exempt. The exemption provided by this paragraph does not apply to a claim for a payment of a debt of the annuitant or beneficiary that is secured by a pledge or assignment of the contract or its proceeds. For the purposes of this paragraph, "dependent" means a family member who is dependent on the debtor for not less than half support.

8. Any claim for damages recoverable by any person by reason of any levy upon or sale under execution of his exempt personal property or by reason of the wrongful taking or detention of such property by any person, and the judgment recovered for such damages.

9. A total of one hundred fifty dollars held in a single account in any one financial institution as defined by section 6‑101. The property declared exempt by this paragraph is not exempt from normal service charges assessed against the account by the financial institution at which the account is carried.

B. Any money or other assets payable to a participant in or beneficiary of, or any interest of any participant or beneficiary in, a retirement plan under section 401(a), 401(k), 403(a), 403(b), 408, 408A or 409 or a deferred compensation plan under section 457 of the United States internal revenue code of 1986, as amended, shall be exempt from any and all claims of creditors of the beneficiary or participant. This subsection shall not apply to any of the following:

1. An alternate payee under a qualified domestic relations order, as defined in section 414(p) of the United States internal revenue code of 1986, as amended. The interest of any and all alternate payees is exempt from any and all claims of any creditor of the alternate payee.

2. Amounts contributed within one hundred twenty days before a debtor files for bankruptcy.

3. The assets of bankruptcy proceedings filed before July 1, 1987.

C. Any person the age of eighteen years or over, married or single, who resides within this state and who does not exercise the homestead exemption under article 1 of this chapter may claim as a personal property homestead exempt from all process prepaid rent, including security deposits as provided in section 33‑1321, subsection A, for the claimant's residence, not exceeding the lesser of one thousand dollars or one and one‑half months' rent.

D. Nothing in this section exempts property from orders which are the result of a judgment for arrearages of child support or for a child support debt. END_STATUTE

Sec. 5. Applicability

The removal of the limit on the amount of the homestead exemption prescribed by section 33-1101, Arizona Revised Statutes, as amended by this act, applies on the effective date of this act:

1. To any recorded and otherwise valid claim of homestead, whether recorded before or after the effective date of this act, against any creditor who attempts to enforce a judgment or lien on or after the effective date of this act.

2. To any homestead exemption that is claimed by operation of law pursuant to section 33-1102, Arizona Revised Statutes, against any creditor who attempts to enforce a judgment or lien on or after the effective date of this act.