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A.R.S. § 33-404

Trust Beneficiary Disclosure for Real Estate

Verified April 4, 202657th Legislature, 1st Regular Session

When real property is held by a trustee, the deed must disclose who the beneficiaries are. Any deed to or from a trustee must list beneficiary names and addresses. It can also reference a recorded document with that information.

Title 33, CONVEYANCES AND DEEDS

azleg.gov

Why Beneficiary Disclosure Is Required on Deeds

When someone holds title to real estate as a trustee, the public record does not show who benefits. This statute closes that gap.

Any deed to or from a trustee must list the trust beneficiaries by name and address. The deed can also point to a recorded document with that information.

Every deed or conveyance of real property, or an interest in real property, located in this state which is executed after June 22, 1976 in which the grantee is described as a trustee or acts as a trustee shall disclose the names and addresses of the beneficiaries for whom the grantee holds title and shall identify the trust or other agreement under which the grantee is acting.

A.R.S. § 33-404(A)

This applies to both incoming and outgoing deeds. If a trustee buys property, the deed must include beneficiary details. If a trustee sells or transfers property, the same disclosure applies.

What Happens When Beneficiaries Change

The duty does not end at the original recording. If the trustee learns of a beneficiary change after the deed is recorded, they must notify the county recorder. They have thirty days to file that notice.

The notice must include the legal description of the property. It must also list the current beneficiaries by name and address.

There is one exception. If a beneficiary dies, their interest may pass to others already named in a prior recording.

In that case, no new filing is needed. But if a new beneficiary enters the picture, the thirty-day clock starts.

Any conveyance of real property or an interest in real property which does not include the disclosures required by this section with respect to the property so conveyed is voidable by the other party to the conveyance.

A.R.S. § 33-404(E)

Failure to disclose has real effects. The other party can void the deal within two years of recording.

A buyer who pays fair value is still protected, even if the disclosure was missing. For families who hold real estate in a living trust, keeping these disclosures current matters. Outdated records can slow down sales and create title problems.

A. Notwithstanding section 33-411, subsection D, every deed or conveyance of real property, or an interest in real property, located in this state which is executed after June 22, 1976 in which the grantee is described as a trustee or acts as a trustee shall disclose the names and addresses of the beneficiaries for whom the grantee holds title and shall identify the trust or other agreement under which the grantee is acting or refer by proper description to the document number or the docket and page of an instrument or other writing which is of public record in the county in which the property so conveyed is located in which such matters are disclosed. B. Notwithstanding section 33-411, subsection D, every deed or conveyance of real property, or an interest in real property, located in this state which is executed after June 22, 1976 by a grantor who holds title to the property as a trustee, whether or not such capacity is identified on the document through which title was acquired, shall also disclose the names and addresses of the beneficiaries for whom the grantor held title to the property and shall identify the trust or other agreement under which the grantor is acting or refer by proper description to the document number or the docket and page of an instrument or other writing which is of public record in the county in which the property so conveyed is located in which such matters are disclosed. C. Notwithstanding section 33-411, subsection D, a grantee who holds title as a trustee under a trust or other agreement which is subject to the disclosure requirements of this section and who receives actual knowledge after August 18, 1987 of a change in beneficiary, within thirty days after receiving such actual knowledge, shall record with the county recorder of the county in which the property is located a notice of the change. The recording and any subsequent recording of any change in any beneficiary shall identify the trust or other agreement under which the grantee holds title and shall include the legal description of the property and a list of the then current names and addresses of the beneficiaries. D. Notwithstanding subsections A, B and C of this section, a trustee is not required to record a change of beneficiary if, upon the death of a beneficiary of a real property trust, the interests of the deceased beneficiary vest in the beneficiary's estate or in other beneficiaries identified in a previous recording. If the interest of the deceased beneficiary vests in a beneficiary not identified in a previous recording, the trustee shall comply with the recording requirements of this chapter within thirty days of receipt of both knowledge of the death and the name and address of the successor beneficiary or beneficiaries or within thirty days of the first distribution of income or principal to a successor beneficiary or beneficiaries, whichever occurs first. E. Any conveyance of real property or an interest in real property which does not include the disclosures required by this section with respect to the property so conveyed is voidable by the other party to the conveyance. Any action to void the conveyance shall be commenced within two years after the date of recordation of the document effecting the conveyance. F. If real property or any interest in real property, or any mortgage, deed of trust or other lien on real property, is acquired for value, the title, interest, mortgage, deed of trust or other lien is not impaired or in any way adversely affected by reason of the failure of any person to comply with the requirements of this section. G. As used in this section, "trustee" does not include an agent for a disclosed principal, a conservator, a guardian, a personal representative, an attorney-in-fact, a lessor or lessee under a lease, a trustee in a bankruptcy or receivership proceeding, a trustee under a deed of trust, a trustee under a business trust or a trustee under an indenture for security holders.

This page provides general legal information about Arizona statutes and is not legal advice. For guidance on how this law applies to your situation, speak with a qualified attorney.

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