Personal property · Arizona
the short answer
You have two years to sue someone for detaining your property and converting it to their own use, and the same two years for taking your goods or damaging them. It is one of the shortest limitations periods in the country for this kind of claim.
source ↗Not yet checked against the statute.
governing statute
A.R.S. § 12-542(5)
source ↗Not yet checked against the statute.
limit
2 years
source ↗Not yet checked against the statute.
Across the country. 2 of the 10 states written up answer this the same way as Arizona. The shortest is 2 years, as in Texas; the longest is 4 years, as in Florida. Compare every state →
which court
Justice court, small claims division
source ↗Not yet checked against the statute.
small claims limit
$5,000
source ↗Not yet checked against the statute.
also
Arizona's civil theft statute will not help an ordinary taking. A.R.S. § 12-691 creates civil liability for shoplifting -- goods taken from a merchant -- and its penalty is the retail value plus a fixed $250. A neighbour who kept your bicycle is not covered by it, and the claim there is ordinary conversion with no multiplier.
source ↗Not yet checked against the statute.
your situation
Everything above is the law as it reaches everyone in Arizona. What it means for you turns on facts only you have. Tell us what happened and we'll ask the same questions a lawyer would — about 90 seconds, free, and anonymous.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Written by an AI model, which can be wrong. Not a lawyer, and not a prediction about your case. Terms · Privacy
someone taking my property — state by state →other claims in this state →
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