Arizona § 33-431 - Grants and devises to two or more persons; estates in common; community property with right of survivorship; joint tenants with right of survivorship

§ 33-431. Grants and devises to two or more persons; estates in common; community property with right of survivorship; joint tenants with right of survivorship

A. Except as otherwise provided in this section, all grants and devises of real property made to two or more persons create estates in common and not in joint tenancy, except grants or devises in trust, or to executors, or to husband and wife.

B. A grant or devise to two or more persons may by express words vest the estate in the survivor on the death of a grantee or devisee when expressly declared in the grant, transfer or devise to be a joint tenancy with right of survivorship. An estate in joint tenancy with right of survivorship may also be created by grant or transfer from a sole owner to himself and others, or from two or more owners to themselves or to one or more of them and others.

C. A grant or devise to a husband and wife may by express words vest the estate in the surviving spouse on the death of one of the spouses when expressly declared in the grant, transfer or devise to be an estate in community property with right of survivorship. An estate in community property with right of survivorship may also be created by grant or transfer from a husband and wife, when holding title as community property or otherwise, to themselves or from either husband or wife to both husband and wife.

D. In the case of real property owned by a husband and wife as community property with right of survivorship, the right of survivorship is extinguished as provided in section 14-2804 or on the recordation in the office of the recorder of the county or counties where the real property is located an affidavit entitled "affidavit terminating right of survivorship" executed by either spouse under oath that sets forth a stated intent by the spouse to terminate the survivorship right, a description of the instrument by which the right of survivorship was created including the date the instrument was recorded and the county recorder's book and page or instrument reference number and the legal description of the real property affected by the affidavit. The recordation shall not extinguish the community interest of either spouse.

E. In the case of real property owned as joint tenants with right of survivorship, the right of survivorship is extinguished as provided in section 14-2804 or on the recordation in the office of the recorder of the county or counties where the real property is located an affidavit entitled "affidavit terminating right of survivorship" executed by any joint tenant under oath that sets forth a stated intent by that joint tenant to terminate the survivorship right, a description of the instrument by which the right of survivorship was created including the date the instrument was recorded and the county recorder's book and page or instrument reference number and the legal description of the real property affected by the affidavit.  If there are more than two joint tenants, the recordation of the affidavit shall extinguish only the joint tenancy and survivorship right of the person who executes the affidavit, and the joint tenancy and survivorship right shall continue among all remaining joint tenants who have not executed an affidavit of termination.

F. With respect to a deceased joint tenant, the termination or extinguishment by death of that tenant's joint tenancy with right of survivorship may be evidenced by the recordation of both of the following items in the office of the recorder of the county or counties where the real property is located:

1. An affidavit executed by one or more of the surviving joint tenants that includes the name of the deceased joint tenant, the date of death of the deceased joint tenant, a description of the instrument by which the right of survivorship was created including the date the instrument was recorded and the county recorder's book and page or instrument reference number, the legal description of the real property affected by the affidavit, and the cause of death of the deceased joint tenant.

2. An attached death certificate of the deceased joint tenant.