Arizona Court Determines Statute of Limitations Applicable to a Claim for Reformation of a Deed of Trust (and a Related Claim for Declaratory Judgment)

Posted on September 18, 2018 by Kevin Parker

By:  Kevin J. Parker

In a recent Arizona Court of Appeals case, Deutsche Bank National Trust Co. v. Pheasant Grove LLC, 798 Ariz. Adv. Rep. 15 (August 23, 2018), the Court of Appeals addressed the question of what statute of limitations was applicable to a declaratory judgment claim.  In that case, a bank’s deed of trust inadvertently omitted one of the lots that was supposed to secure that bank’s loan.  The deed of trust should have covered lots 8 and 9, but by its terms covered only lot 8.  A different bank subsequently recorded a deed of trust that encumbered lot 9. … Read More »

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Equitable Subrogation Part Deux: Mechanic’s Lien vs. Later Bank Deed of Trust

Posted on August 30, 2016 by Kevin Parker

By Kevin J. Parker

https://www.swlaw.com/people/kevin_parker

This post follows, almost two years to the day, Rick Erickson’s post of August 29, 2014. As noted by Rick Erickson in his August 29, 2014 post, the Arizona Supreme Court in the Weitz case (2014) had determined that equitable subrogation principles were applicable to enable an earlier-recorded mechanic’s lien to be trumped by a later-recorded bank deed of trust, if the loan secured by the later deed of trust paid off a lien that had been ahead of the mechanic’s lien.  In a decision filed August 9, 2016, the Arizona Court of Appeals further clarified the scope of such equitable subrogation.… Read More »

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Mortgage Lenders Can’t Jump Ahead of Mechanic’s Liens

Posted on February 11, 2014 by Ben Reeves

By:  Ben Reevesleap 4

In Weitz Co., LLC v. Heth, 223 Ariz. 442, 314 P.3d 569 (Ct. App. Nov. 26 2013), the Arizona Court of Appeals held that the plain language of Arizona’s mechanic lien statute, A.R.S. § 33-992(A), does not allow a lender to jump ahead of a mechanic’s lien under the doctrine of “equitable subrogation.”

In Weitz, First National Bank of Arizona lent a developer $44,000,000 to build a 165-unit, mixed-use commercial/residential project in downtown Phoenix.  The bank secured repayment of the construction loan by recording a deed of trust against the project.

The developer hired The Weitz Company as its general contractor. … Read More »

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