Home > Self-Service Center > Small Claims > Information Sheets

About the Judgment
Below is information that may be helpful to persons wishing to pursue a small claim but is not a substitute for legal advice. There are other rules and laws that may be applicable to your situation, but these are common rules and laws that apply in small claims cases.
 

A.R.S. means Arizona Revised Statutes, and ARSCP means Arizona Rules of Small Claims Procedure

 
Judgment
A justice of the peace or hearing officer may render a judgment at the end of the hearing or within 10 days after the hearing. The court must mail a copy of the judgment to all parties within 5 days. Payment of the judgment is due when the judgment is rendered.

A judgment is a final written order of the court that decides the claims in the lawsuit and is binding on all parties. A final judgment must be signed by a justice of the peace or hearing officer and filed with the court. All judgments must be in writing, and the court must mail copies to all parties. The judgment must clearly state the determination of the rights of the parties. The judgment is due and payable immediately after the judgment is rendered by the justice of the peace or a hearing officer in small claims court. Collection of the judgment by the prevailing party may follow the procedures as provided in ARS §§ 22-243 through 22-246.
 
Vacating a Judgment
Any party can file a motion with the court asking to be relieved from judgment. The motion does not affect the finality of the judgment or suspend operation of the judgment. The court may relieve a party from a judgment for the following reasons:
  1. mistake, inadvertence, surprise, or excusable neglect;
  2. fraud, misrepresentation, or other misconduct of an opposing party;
  3. the judgment is void;
  4. the judgment has been satisfied, released, or discharged; it is based on an earlier judgment that has been reversed or vacated; or applying it prospectively is no longer equitable; or
  5. any other reason justifying relief.
A motion to vacate must be filed within a reasonable time. For reasons (1) and (2), the motion must be filed no more than 6 months after the entry of the judgment or the date of the proceeding, whichever is later. The moving party must deliver a copy of the motion to the other party on the date of filing. The other party has 15 days to file a written response and must deliver a copy of the response to the moving party on the date the response is filed.

This rule does not limit the court's power to:
  1. entertain an independent action to relieve a party from a judgment; or
  2. set aside a judgment for fraud on the court.
An attorney may represent a party on a motion to vacate a judgment.

SMALL CLAIMS FORMS

 
Satisfaction of Judgment
The prevailing party must file a satisfaction of judgment in the small claims division of the justice court within 30 days after a judgment has been paid in full. If the prevailing party fails to file a satisfaction of judgment or cannot be located after the opposing party has exercised due diligence in attempting to locate the prevailing party, the opposing party may file a motion to compel satisfaction of the judgment. If the motion is granted, the judgment is deemed satisfied.

On the filing of a motion to compel satisfaction of the judgment, the case will be transferred from the small claims division to the justice court. A justice of the peace may hold a hearing on the motion to compel satisfaction of the judgment. A justice of the peace may compel the moving party to post a bond with the justice court in the amount of the judgment.

 SMALL CLAIMS FORMS