forged or fraudulent deeds; exclusion

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on fiscal impact or technical changes beyond what was already stated in the summary.

Forged or Fraudulent Deeds; Exclusion

This bill changes how courts decide who owns land in cities and towns if someone tries to claim ownership using a fake deed.

What This Bill Does

• Specifies that the lawful owner of a lot in a city or town is the person with a recorded deed who has paid taxes on it for at least five years, unless they used a forged (fake) deed or power of attorney.
• Prohibits someone from benefiting from an action to recover a lot if they claim ownership through a forged deed or a deed executed under a forged power of attorney.

Who It Names or Affects

• People who own property in cities and towns
• Courts dealing with disputes over ownership of city or town lots

Terms To Know

Forged deed

A fake document that tries to prove someone owns land when they really don't.

Power of attorney

A legal document giving someone else the right to make decisions or sign documents on your behalf.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify how it will affect people who have owned land for less than five years.
• It is unclear if this law will change the amount of work courts need to do when deciding property disputes.

Official Summary Text

SB1556 - 572R - Senate Fact Sheet

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ARIZONA STATE SENATE

Fifty-Seventh
Legislature, Second Regular Session

FACT SHEET FOR
S.B. 1556

forged or fraudulent
deeds; exclusion

Purpose

Specifies that
in an action to recover a lot in a city or town the lawful owner of the lot is
the person who claims ownership based on a recorded deed and who has paid taxes
on the lot for at least five years, unless the claim of title is made under a
forged deed or a deed executed under a forged power of attorney.

Background

An action to
recover a lot located in a city or town from a person having a recorded deed for
the lot who claims ownership and has paid the taxes on the lot must be brought
within five years after the cause of action accrues, provided that the person
against whom the action is brought has claimed ownership and has paid the taxes
on the lot for at least five consecutive years preceding the commencement of the
action (
A.R.S.
� 12-524
).

There is no
anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this
legislation.

Provisions

1.

Deems a person who claims ownership of a lot in a city or town based on
a recorded deed and who has paid taxes on that property for at least five years
as the lawful owner in an action to recover the lot, unless that person claims
ownership through a forged deed as outlined.

2.

Prohibits a person who claims ownership of a lot in a city or town from
benefiting from an action to recover the lot, if the person claims title to the
lot under a forged deed or a deed executed under a forged power of attorney.

3.

Makes technical changes.

4.

Becomes effective on the general effective date.

Prepared by Senate Research

February 6, 2026

ZD/KS/ci

Current Bill Text

SB1556 - 572R - I Ver

REFERENCE TITLE:
forged or fraudulent deeds; exclusion

State of Arizona

Senate

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

SB 1556

Introduced by

Senator
Rogers

AN
ACT

AMENDING SECTION 12-524, ARIZONA
REVISED STATUTES; RELATING TO REAL ACTIONS.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

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

Section 1. Section 12-524, Arizona Revised
Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE
12-524.

City lot claimed under recorded deed; five year limitation

A.
An action to recover a lot
located in a city or town from a person
having
who has
a recorded deed
therefor
for the lot
, who claims ownership and has paid the taxes
thereon
on the lot
, shall be brought
within five years after the cause of action accrues, and not afterward,
provided that the person against whom the action is brought, by himself or his
grantors, has claimed ownership
thereof
of
the lot
and has paid the taxes
thereon
on the lot
for at least five consecutive years next preceding
the commencement of
such
the

action.�
Except as prescribed in subsection B of this section, a
person who claims OWNERSHIP of the PROPERTY based on a recorded deed and who
has paid the taxes on that property for at least five years is deemed the
lawful owner of the property.

B. This section does not apply to a
person who is in possession of land and who in the absence of this section
would claim title through a forged deed, and no person claiming under a forged
deed or a deed executed under a forged power of attorney is allowed the
benefits of this section.
END_STATUTE