Arizona Registrar of Contractors

The Recovery Fund is a form of financial protection provided by licensed Arizona residential contractors to residential homeowners. The Recovery Fund is governed by statute and available only to persons who own and occupy, or intend to occupy, class three residential property. In some circumstances, the Recovery Fund is also available to lessees of residential real property and homeowners’ or unit owners’ associations as defined by A.R.S. § 32-1131.3. The Recovery Fund does not accept claims from suppliers, subcontractors, laborers or other commercial entities.

A claim can be filed with the Recovery Fund through either the administrative process authorized by A.R.S. § 32-1154.F, or through the civil process authorized by A.R.S. § 32-1136. Under both of these processes, a claimant must show that he/she is eligible and has suffered compensable actual damages as defined by the Recovery Fund statutes.

In order to be deemed eligible for recovery from the Fund, you must submit documentation to demonstrate that you meet the following requirements:

1. The contractor’s residential or dual license must have been suspended or revoked as a direct result of a formal complaint filed by you against the contractor’s license. (This requirement does not apply to civil Recovery Fund claims filed pursuant to A.R.S. § 32-1136.) A.R.S. § 32-1154.F
2. The contractor must be a licensed residential contractor. A.R.S. § 32-1131.3.
3. The claimant must be the owner of a class three residential property and have occupied, or intended to occupy, the residence at the time of the contract (or at the time the injury accrued) to be a “person injured” as defined by statute. A.R.S. § 32-1131.3.
4. The contractor must have been licensed and in good standing with the Registrar of Contractors at the time of the contract. An award from the Recovery Fund shall not be available to persons injured by a residential contractor whose license was in an inactive, expired, cancelled, revoked, suspended or not issued status at the time of the contract. A.R.S. § 32-1132.A.
5. The claim must be filed within the relevant two-year statute of limitations.
   
   In an administrative Recovery Fund claim, the administrative disciplinary complaint must be filed within two years of close of escrow or actual occupancy (whichever occurred first) of a new structure or completion of remodel/repair. A.R.S. § 32-1155.A.
   
   In a civil Recovery Fund claim, the civil complaint must be filed with the court within two years from the date of the commission of the act by the contractor that is the cause of the injury or two years from the date of occupancy. A.R.S. § 32-1136.A.

The claimant must have incurred “actual damages” defined as those damages suffered as a direct result of a contractor’s violation to qualify for an award from the Fund. The calculation done by the Registrar attempts to make you ‘whole’ on the contract; that is, to put you in the position you would have been in after full payment on, and full performance of, the underlying contract. Alternatively, if you paid the contractor a deposit to do a project and the contractor did not perform any work or deliver any materials, then we may only award you a refund of your deposit paid to the contractor, essentially rescinding the contract. A.R.S. § 32-1132.A.

Please be aware that there are limitations to what the Fund will reimburse. Compensable damages shall not exceed an amount necessary to complete or repair the structure and cannot result in a net gain to the claimant. As with eligibility, you bear the burden to establish that you have suffered damages that are compensable from the Fund. A.R.S. § 32-1132.A.

In a civil claim, though you may obtain a civil judgment against a contractor for damages, not all those damages may be compensable from the Fund. The limitations above will guide what portion of the judgment damages may be compensable from the Fund.

A homeowner can pursue an award from the Fund by way of the administrative procedure or the civil procedure.

Administrative Procedure for Recovery

An administrative claim must be filed on forms prescribed by the Registrar and submitted to our office along with all supporting documentation. A claim may only be filed after the required discipline is obtained by you as the result of a complaint filed against the contractor pursuant to A.R.S. § 32-1154.F and as discussed in number (2)(a) above. Required documentation includes: a copy of the property deed; a copy of County Assessor parcel information; the original contract; copies of plans, drawings and/or building specifications; copies of documents that verify proof of payment on the contract; and copies of documents that verify proof of cost to repair and/or complete the project.

Recovery Fund staff will then process and analyze the claim to determine whether the claimant is eligible and if so, to what extent they may qualify for compensation from the Fund, as outlined above.

Civil Procedure for Recovery

A civil action against the contractor must be brought in a civil court of competent jurisdiction. The lawsuit must be filed with the court within two years from the date of the commission of the act by the contractor that is the cause of the injury or two years from the date of occupancy. A.R.S. § 32-1136.A.

Pursuant to A.R.S. § 32-1136, the homeowner (Plaintiff) must notify the Registrar of the commencement of the lawsuit. The Plaintiff must also submit a copy of the relevant court filings and all required supporting documentation to establish eligibility and damages, as explained above. Once a judgment against the contractor is obtained, a claimant must provide that document to the Registrar along with at least twenty days written notice of the claimant’s intent to apply to the court for an order directing payment from the Fund. A.R.S. § 32-1136.B.

Failure to comply with these requirements may necessitate that the Registrar intervene into the lawsuit in order to obtain the necessary documentation to determine the merits of a claim. Intervention is a right afforded the Registrar in order to protect the Fund. A.R.S. § 32-1136.B.

The Plaintiff must file a claim against all available bonds and follow the requirements of A.R.S. §§ 32-1136.D and 32-1136.E.

If the claim is determined eligible for a payment from the Fund, the court will issue an Order Directing Payment from the Fund. The homeowner then needs to file a certified copy of this Order with the Registrar. Please be aware that the Fund does not pay a claimant’s court costs and/or attorney’s fees in civil claims. These expenses are not recoverable from the Fund, except in contested cases appealed to the Superior Court (which means administrative claims that are appealed to the Superior Court). A.R.S. § 32-1132.A.

If work has not begun to correct or complete the project:

In either an administrative or a civil claim, you will need to provide itemized bids (at least three), from licensed residential contractors, that document how much money it will take to repair or complete the project. In the matter of an administrative claim, these bids must match the corrective work ordered to be completed in your underlying disciplinary case to be accepted as a valid basis to estimate your “actual damages.” A.R.S. §32-1132.A.

If work to repair or complete the project is in progress or has been completed:

In either an administrative or a civil claim, you will need to submit all accompanying documentation which demonstrates what money you have spent to repair / complete the project, including: a copy of the new contract(s), invoices, receipts, and proof of payment on the new contract. Only costs incurred that complete or repair the corrective work ordered in your underlying disciplinary case are compensable as “actual damages.” A.R.S. §32-1132.A.

Note: Proof of cost to complete or repair cannot be based on bids supplied by, or work performed by, an unlicensed person or business. A.R.S. §32-1132.A.

The Registrar has a fiduciary responsibility to administer the monies in the Fund. The Fund is audited every three years and must obtain sufficient evidence to document that the correct decision on each claim was made. This responsibility requires that the Fund have evidence to demonstrate that only those claims that are eligible and that qualify for a monetary payout within the limitations of the statutes were paid.

There is no entitlement to a payout from the Fund. As with any applicant to such a program, the burden of proof lies on the claimant to establish eligibility and what damages, if any, the applicant can receive within the statutory limitations. As such, the required documentation is the minimal evidence the Fund needs (in most cases) from a claimant to determine whether the claimant has carried that burden of proof. A failure to provide the requested documentation may result in a rejection of your claim until the requested documentation is provided (if an administrative claim) or the Registrar’s intervention (if a civil claim) in your lawsuit to obtain the information.

We cannot recommend a contractor to you. Since the Registrar licenses and regulates contractors, this could be perceived as a conflict of interest. You may use our website to perform searches of contractors in your area by license class to ensure their license is in good standing.

Note: Proof of cost to complete or repair cannot be based on bids supplied by, or work performed by, an unlicensed person or business. A.R.S. §32-1132.A.

If you feel that you need to move forward with repairs prior to possible reimbursement from the Fund, the decision must be made by you, the homeowner. If you proceed with repairs, it will not prevent you from receiving money in your claim for recovery against the Fund. You should fully document the condition of the home with photos, etc. so that you are prepared to support your claim if a hearing is requested. You will need to submit to the Fund all accompanying documentation which supports the cost of the repairs.

In any case, the Recovery Fund cannot guarantee payment, nor can it guarantee that you will receive full reimbursement for the amounts you spend to repair or complete the project.

The contractor is guaranteed the right to due process under the statutes and Constitution in any legal proceeding. If a hearing took place in the underlying complaint process, it was for disciplinary purposes. Please keep in mind that the disciplinary legal process is wholly separate and apart from any proceedings necessary to resolve a Recovery Fund claim.

A Recovery Fund hearing would address different issues than were addressed in your disciplinary complaint case, such as eligibility requirements or the appropriateness of the proposed monetary award. In the Recovery Fund process, a hearing may be requested by the contractor, homeowner or the Registrar of Contractors.

As a general proposition, a contractor’s bankruptcy filing cannot divest the Registrar from authorizing a payout to an eligible homeowner. There can always be exceptions, however, so you may want to consult a bankruptcy attorney for guidance as to what effect, if any, this may have on the processing of your claim.

The Recovery Fund does not guarantee payment to anyone. If you are found to be eligible for a payment from the Fund, you can recover a maximum of $30,000.00 per residence. An award shall not exceed an amount necessary to complete or repair the project. The maximum payout per residential contractor’s license is $200,000.00. Once $200,000.00 in claims has been dispersed, no further payments from the Fund against that contractor’s license shall be allowed. A.R.S. §§ 32-1132.A and 32-1139.A

a.	The ROC has sent you an administrative "Decision, Order and Award" informing you of an order awarding compensation from the Residential Contractors' Recovery Fund;
	or
b.	You obtained an "Order Directing Payout" from a civil court. If your claim is based on an administrative "Decision, Order and Award," please note that it provides for the statutory right of both parties to appeal this order. Assuming neither party files an appeal, payment of the award will be made when sufficient funds are available. The Recovery Fund receives money from an assessment paid by licensed residential contractors. The amount of money deposited in the fund depends on the number of licensed residential contractors. The projections in the table below are based on the estimated money deposited in the Fund from this assessment. The ROC pays claims in sequential order based on the effective date of an administrative "Decision, Order and Award" or the filing date of a civil "Order Directing Payout". The table below shows the current estimated timeframe for the payment of claims. We understand you may be disappointed by the delay in receiving compensation. The ROC is aware of the frustration and difficulty this delay causes innocent homeowners and is also not pleased with the situation. We continue working to find ways to improve this regrettable situation.

Decision & Order Effective or Filing of Civil Order Directing Payout	** Estimated Payment Month
April 2012	May 2013
May 2012	May 2013
June 2012	June 2013
July 2012	July 2013
August 2012	July 2013
September 2012	July 2013
October 2012	August 2013
November 2012	August 2013
December 2012	September 2013
January 2013	September 2013
February 2013	October 2013
March 2013	October 2013
April 2013	October 2013

**Because these are projections, they are subject to change and no exact date of a payout can be provided. Please check back periodically for updated information as the projected payout timeframes may change over time.

The Recovery Fund does not select/hire the contractor to complete the necessary repairs. The check is issued to you, the homeowner. You contract directly with the contractor and are responsible for paying the contractor.

The Registrar of Contractors does not regulate liens. Any questions regarding liens should be addressed with a party’s own legal counsel. Statutory information on Liens can be found in [Title 33, Chapter 7] of the Arizona Revised Statutes or our Liens Statutes Reference page.