ARS 13-4301: Definitions

In this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires:

1. “Abandoned property”:

(a) Means personal property that the owner has intentionally relinquished the right to and control over.

(b) Does not include property that is obtained as a result of a peace officer requesting, requiring or inducing a person to execute a document that purports to disclaim an interest in or right to the property or that relinquished interest in or rights to the property.

2. “Attorney for the state” means an attorney designated by the attorney general, by a county attorney or by a city attorney to investigate, commence and prosecute an action under this chapter.

3. “Commercially reasonable” means a sale or disposal that would be commercially reasonable under title 47, chapter 9, article 6.

4. “Injured person” means a person who has sustained economic loss, including medical loss, as a result of injury to his person, business or property by the conduct giving rise to the forfeiture of property, and who is not an owner of or an interest holder in the property. Injured person does not include a person who is responsible for the conduct giving rise to forfeiture or a person whose interest would not be exempt from forfeiture if the person were an owner of or interest holder in the property.

5. “Interest holder” means a person in whose favor there is a security interest or who is the beneficiary of a perfected encumbrance pertaining to an interest in property.

6. “Owner” means a person who is not a secured party as defined in section 47-9102 and who has an interest in property, whether legal or equitable. A person who holds property for the benefit of or as agent or nominee for another is not an owner. A purported interest that is not in compliance with any statute requiring its recordation or reflection in public records in order to perfect the interest against a bona fide purchaser for value shall not be recognized as an interest against this state in an action pursuant to this chapter. An owner with power to convey property binds other owners, and a spouse binds his spouse, by his act or omission.

7. “Person known to have an interest” means a person whose interest in property is reflected in the public records in which his interest is required by law to be recorded or reflected in order to perfect his interest. If a person’s interest in property is not required by law to be reflected in public records in order to perfect his interest in the property, a person shall be known to have an interest only if his interest can be readily ascertained at the time the forfeiture action commences pursuant to this chapter.

8. “Personal property” includes all interests in property, as defined in section 13-105, in whatever form, except real property and fixtures as defined in section 47-9102.

9. “Seizing agency” means any department or agency of this state or its political subdivisions that regularly employs peace officers and that employs the peace officer who seizes property for forfeiture, or such other agency as the seizing agency may designate in a particular case by its chief executive officer or the chief executive officer’s designee.

10. “Seizure for forfeiture” means seizure of property by a peace officer and either:

(a) There is an assertion by the seizing agency or by an attorney for the state that the property is subject to forfeiture.

(b) The property has no evidentiary value.