33-1501. Affidavit of affixture for mobile home in mobile home park

A. Notwithstanding any other statute, a person who owns a mobile home that is located in a mobile home park on real property that is not owned by that person may file an affidavit of affixture with the county recorder of the county in which the real property is located if all of the following conditions are met:

1. The mobile home has been installed on the real property with all wheels and axles removed in compliance with applicable state and local mobile home installation standards.

2. The owner of the mobile home has entered into a lease for the real property on which the mobile home is located for a primary term of at least twenty years and the lease specifically permits the recording of an affidavit of affixture.

3. Before filing the affidavit of affixture, a memorandum of lease is recorded that includes all of the following:

(a) The names and addresses of the landlord and the tenant.

(b) The duration of the primary term of the lease.

(c) The conditions of any lease renewal provisions.

(d) The make, year, size, manufacturer's list price and vehicle identification numbers of the mobile home.

(e) The legal description of the real property on which the mobile home is located.

(f) The acknowledged signatures of both the landlord and the tenant. A memorandum of lease is not valid unless the signatures of both the landlord and the tenant are included on the memorandum and are acknowledged.

B. For a mobile home park, a legal description of the real property is sufficient as follows:

1. For a mobile home park that has a subdivision plat recorded with the county recorder that identifies the individual lots, the description shall refer to the lot, the name of the community as shown on the plat and the recording information for the plat of record.

2. A mobile home park may record a leasehold map of the mobile home park. A leasehold map shall, at a minimum, set forth the legal description of the land comprising the mobile home park, show the location of all rental spaces of the mobile home park and assign each space a unique identifying number. To qualify as a leasehold map, the map shall identify the mobile home park by name and contain a certification by the owner of the land that it accurately depicts the location and dimensions of all mobile home spaces in the mobile home park. Leasehold maps shall be recorded as maps by the county recorder and shall conform to size and other restrictions applicable to the recording of maps. For a mobile home park that has recorded a leasehold map, the legal description is sufficient if it refers to the space number of the mobile home space as shown on the leasehold map and refers to the recording data pertaining to the leasehold map.

3. For a mobile home park that does not have a plat recorded with the county recorder that identifies individual lots, the description shall comply with any of the following:

(a) A metes and bounds description of the real property that is subject to the lease. This description shall also serve as the legal description of the mobile home lot in the lease.

(b) A reference to a lot number that is contained in an unrecorded plat of the mobile home park if a legible copy of the plat is attached to both the memorandum of lease and the affidavit of affixture and each copy of the unrecorded plat sets forth the exact dimensions of the mobile home lot. The location of the lot shall be shown on the plat so that the lot can be located with certainty.

(c) A reference to a lot number that is contained in a development plan that has been reviewed and approved by the county or municipal planning department that has jurisdiction over the land depicted in the development plan. The description is sufficient if it contains the name and date of the development plan, the lot number of the designated lot and the actual or approximate date of approval of the development plan by the planning department. A legible copy of the development plan lot shall be attached to both the memorandum of lease and the affidavit of affixture and each copy of the development plan lot shall set forth the exact dimensions of the mobile home lot and shall show its exact location.

C. An affidavit of affixture that is filed pursuant to this section shall contain all of the following:

1. The make, year, size, manufacturer's list price and vehicle identification numbers of the mobile home.

2. The legal description of the real property to which the mobile home has been affixed.

3. A statement that the mobile home has not previously been assessed and taxed in this state as personal property or the name and address of the persons to whom the last tax statement for the mobile home was sent and the location of the mobile home when it was last taxed.

4. The name of the holder of any security interests in the mobile home that are not terminated by the consent of the secured party that is contained in the affidavit of affixture pursuant to subsection E of this section and the original principal amount that is secured by the security interest.

D. The department of transportation's receipt that is issued pursuant to section 28-2063, subsection A, paragraph 3 shall be filed with the assessor in the county the affidavit of affixture is recorded.

E. The recording of an affidavit of affixture does not impair the rights of any holder of a perfected security interest in the mobile home unless the affidavit of affixture contains the acknowledged consent of the secured party to the termination of the security interest. If a secured party so consents, that security interest terminates when the affidavit of affixture is recorded.

F. If an affidavit of affixture is submitted for recording on a mobile home that enters this state for sale or installation, a certificate of compliance or waiver that is issued by the Arizona department of housing is required and shall be submitted with the affidavit of affixture.

G. The landlord under the lease who is also the owner of the real property on which the mobile home is located may record a notice and affidavit that terminates an affidavit of affixture of a mobile home on the landlord's real property if the lease has been terminated before its expiration. In that event, the landlord shall attach to the notice and affidavit one of the following:

1. An agreement executed by both the landlord and the tenant in which both parties agree to the termination of the lease.

2. A copy of a judgment for forcible detainer that is entered by a court of competent jurisdiction, that upholds the termination of the lease and that awards possession of the real property to the landlord.

3. An affidavit of the landlord stating that the mobile home has been removed from the real property.

H. At any time after the landlord records a notice and affidavit terminating an affidavit of affixture pursuant to subsection G of this section, the department of transportation shall retitle the mobile home to the owner of the mobile home on presentation of a copy of the notice and affidavit that terminates the affidavit of affixture, together with a document that contains a tax clearance from the county treasurer's office, and on satisfaction of other requirements that the department of transportation imposes.

I. The mobile home and the leasehold interest to which it is affixed shall be treated as real property. This chapter applies to the relationship between the landlord and the owner of the mobile home as tenant.

J. If there is a change in the identity of the owner of the mobile home during the term of any lease for which an affidavit of affixture has been recorded pursuant to this section, the landlord and the new owner of the mobile home as successor tenant shall execute an amended memorandum of lease that identifies the successor tenant and that refers to the affidavit of affixture by date and recording information. On the recording of the amended memorandum of lease, the successor tenant succeeds to the rights and obligations of the owner under the affidavit of affixture.