What This Statute Says
This section is the companion to A.R.S. 12-506. When a debtor moves to Arizona with an unexpired obligation, the creditor gets at least one year of Arizona residency before any Arizona statute of limitations can bar the claim.
No demand against a person who removes to this state, incurred prior to his removal, shall be barred by the statute of limitation until he has resided in this state one year, unless barred at the time of his removal to this state by the laws of the state or country from which he migrated.
A.R.S. § 12-507When This Statute Comes Into Play
Common scenarios:
- A creditor learns that the debtor has moved to Arizona. Even if Arizona's local clock would have run, the creditor gets a year after the move to act.
- An estate of someone who recently moved here is contacted by an out-of-state creditor. The claim's status depends on whether the prior state's limit had run before the move.
- A family business has accounts receivable from a customer who left another state for Arizona.
What This Means for Arizona Families
Estate administration can pull in creditors from anywhere. When the decedent moved to Arizona shortly before death, the patchwork of state limitations periods can be confusing. This section makes sure creditors are not penalized for the move when their claim was still alive at the time.
For personal representatives, the practical rule is simple: do not reject a recent claim just because Arizona's deadline appears to have passed. The one-year grace period in this section may keep the claim alive. Our FAQ on whether a spouse is responsible for the decedent's debts walks through the broader question of who owes the money. Combined with the probate nonclaim statute deadlines, this section often determines which old debts the estate must address. An Arizona probate attorney can sort the timing and identify which claims survive the move. Acting promptly after appointment lets the estate close cleanly without later surprises from out-of-state creditors.