Beneficiary Deeds in Arizona: How to Transfer Property on Death

A. A deed that conveys an interest in real property, including any debt secured by a lien on real property, to a grantee beneficiary designated by the owner and that expressly states that the deed is effective on the death of the owner transfers the interest to the designated grantee beneficiary effective on the death of the owner subject to all conveyances, assignments, contracts, mortgages, deeds of trust, liens, security pledges and other encumbrances made by the owner or to which the owner was subject during the owner's lifetime. B. A beneficiary deed may designate multiple grantees who take title as joint tenants with right of survivorship, tenants in common, a husband and wife as community property or as community property with right of survivorship, or any other tenancy that is valid under the laws of this state. Unless the beneficiary deed provides otherwise, the interest in real property conveyed by a beneficiary deed is the separate property of the named grantee beneficiary and is not community property. C. A beneficiary deed may designate a successor grantee beneficiary. If the beneficiary deed designates a successor grantee beneficiary, the deed shall state the condition on which the interest of the successor grantee beneficiary would vest. Unless the beneficiary deed provides otherwise, if there are no grantee beneficiaries named in the beneficiary deed who survive the owner, the beneficiary deed is void and section 14-2603 does not apply. D. If real property is owned as joint tenants with the right of survivorship or as community property with the right of survivorship, a deed that conveys an interest in the real property to a grantee beneficiary designated by all of the then surviving owners and that expressly states that the deed is effective on the death of the last surviving owner transfers the interest to the designated grantee beneficiary effective on the death of the last surviving owner. If a beneficiary deed is executed by fewer than all of the owners of real property owned as joint tenants with right of survivorship or community property with right of survivorship, the beneficiary deed is valid if the last surviving owner is one of the persons who executes the beneficiary deed. If the last surviving owner did not execute the beneficiary deed, the transfer shall lapse and the deed is void. E. A beneficiary deed is valid only if the deed is executed and recorded as provided by law in the office of the county recorder of the county in which the property is located before the death of the owner or the last surviving owner. A beneficiary deed may be used to transfer an interest in real property to the trustee of a trust even if the trust is revocable. F. A beneficiary deed may be revoked at any time by the owner or, if there is more than one owner, by any of the owners who executed the beneficiary deed. To be effective, the revocation must be executed and recorded as provided by law in the office of the county recorder of the county in which the real property is located before the death of the owner who executes the revocation. G. If an owner executes and records more than one beneficiary deed concerning the same real property, the last beneficiary deed that is recorded before the owner's death is the effective beneficiary deed. H. This section does not prohibit other methods of conveying property that are permitted by law and that have the effect of postponing enjoyment of an interest in real property until the death of the owner. I. The signature, consent or agreement of or notice to a grantee beneficiary of a beneficiary deed is not required for any purpose during the lifetime of the owner. J. A beneficiary deed that is executed, acknowledged and recorded in accordance with this section is not revoked by the provisions of a will. K. A beneficiary deed is sufficient if it complies with other applicable laws and if it is in substantially the following form: [form text omitted for brevity]. L. The instrument of revocation shall be sufficient if it complies with other applicable laws and is in substantially the following form: [form text omitted for brevity]. M. For the purposes of this section: 1. "Beneficiary deed" means a deed authorized under this section. 2. "Owner" means any person who executes a beneficiary deed as provided in this section.