What These Reports Cover
A third-party disclosure report pulls information from official government maps and publicly available data to flag conditions that might affect a property. The statute lists specific categories: FEMA flood zones, military airports and training routes, expansive soils, earth fissures, special tax assessments, radon gas potential, and environmental superfund sites, among others.
A disclosure report pursuant to this section may be provided to the buyer or seller of real property by a third party as authorized by the buyer or seller and shall be based on officially adopted and electronically posted or otherwise readily available governmental maps or information.
A.R.S. § 33-423(A)The report can also include any additional condition the buyer or seller authorizes and the provider agrees to research. This flexibility means the report can be tailored to the specific concerns of a transaction.
Provider Accountability and Indemnity
Third-party providers are not working without accountability. They must carry errors and omissions insurance of at least $1 million per occurrence and $10 million in aggregate. Failing to maintain that coverage is a Class 1 misdemeanor.
If a report contains an error, the provider must defend any resulting lawsuit, indemnify the buyer or seller who authorized the report, and cover attorney fees and costs. This protection extends to licensed real estate agents representing the parties. However, if the buyer, seller, or their agent already knew about the error or modified the report in a way that caused the mistake, the provider's indemnity obligation does not apply.
One important clarification: the listing of a condition in a disclosure report does not automatically make that condition material to the transaction. Materiality is determined under other applicable law.
