Terms Used In Arizona Laws > Title 33 > Chapter 7 - Liens

• Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
• Amendment: A proposal to alter the text of a pending bill or other measure by striking out some of it, by inserting new language, or both. Before an amendment becomes part of the measure, thelegislature must agree to it.
• Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
• Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
• Attachment: A procedure by which a person's property is seized to pay judgments levied by the court.
• Bankruptcy: Refers to statutes and judicial proceedings involving persons or businesses that cannot pay their debts and seek the assistance of the court in getting a fresh start. Under the protection of the bankruptcy court, debtors may discharge their debts, perhaps by paying a portion of each debt. Bankruptcy judges preside over these proceedings.
• Beneficiary: A person who is entitled to receive the benefits or proceeds of a will, trust, insurance policy, retirement plan, annuity, or other contract. ^{Source: OCC}
• Bonded stop notice: means a stop notice that is given to any construction lender and that is accompanied by a bond executed solely by one or more surety companies authorized to transact surety business in this state pursuant to Title 20, Chapter 2, Article 1 in an amount equal to one hundred fifty per cent of the amount of the claim on the condition that if the owner, original contractor or construction lender recovers judgment in an action brought on a verified claim or on the lien filed by the claimant, the claimant would have sufficient monies to pay all costs and damages that the owner, original contractor or construction lender may sustain by reason of the stop notice claim or the lien, not exceeding the amount specified in the bond. See Arizona Laws 33-1051
• Construction lender: means any mortgagee or beneficiary under a deed of trust lending funds all or a portion of which defray the cost of the construction, alteration, repair or improvement or any assignee or successor in interest of either, or any escrow holder or other party holding any monies furnished or to be furnished by the owner or any other person as a source from which to pay construction costs. See Arizona Laws 33-1051
• Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
• Decedent: A deceased person.
• Deed: The legal instrument used to transfer title in real property from one person to another.
• Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
• 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}
• Escrow: Money given to a third party to be held for payment until certain conditions are met.
• 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
• Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). ^{Source: OCC}
• Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
• Mobile food unit: means a food establishment that is licensed by this state, that is readily movable and that dispenses food or beverages for immediate service and consumption and other incidental retail items from any vehicle as defined in section 28-101. See Arizona Laws 9-485
• Mobile food vendor: means any person who owns, controls, manages or leases a mobile food unit or contracts with a person to prepare foods and vend from, drive or operate a mobile food unit. See Arizona Laws 9-485
• Month: means a calendar month unless otherwise expressed. See Arizona Laws 1-215
• Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
• Mortgagee: The person to whom property is mortgaged and who has loaned the money.
• Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
• Original contractor: means any contractor who has a direct contractual relationship with the owner. See Arizona Laws 33-1051
• Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
• Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
• Population: means the population according to the most recent United States decennial census. 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}
• professional services: means architectural practice, engineering practice or land surveying practice as defined in section 32-101. See Arizona Laws 33-1007
• Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
• Registered mail: includes certified mail. See Arizona Laws 1-215
• Remainder: An interest in property that takes effect in the future at a specified time or after the occurrence of some event, such as the death of a life tenant.
• Settlement: Parties to a lawsuit resolve their difference without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in satisfaction of the other party's claims.
• Stop notice: means a written notice that is signed and verified by the claimant or its agent and that states in general terms all of the following:

  (a) A description of the labor, professional services, materials, machinery, fixtures or tools furnished or agreed to be furnished by the claimant. See Arizona Laws 33-1051

• Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system.
• Transcript: A written, word-for-word record of what was said, either in a proceeding such as a trial or during some other conversation, as in a transcript of a hearing or oral deposition.
• United States: includes the District of Columbia and the territories. See Arizona Laws 1-215
• Wilfully: means , with respect to conduct or to a circumstance described by a statute defining an offense, that a person is aware or believes that the person's conduct is of that nature or that the circumstance exists. See Arizona Laws 1-215
• Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.
• Writ: means an order or precept in writing issued in the name of the state or by a court or judicial officer. See Arizona Laws 1-215