AZ HB2963

Requires mandatory settlement conferences in eviction cases for unpaid rent or material lease breaches, scheduled five days after the eviction notice is served on the tenant.

Settlement conferences must be presided over by elected justices of the peace, with referral to another elected justice in the same or adjacent county if the assigned justice is unavailable.

If landlords fail to appear at the settlement conference, the eviction case is dismissed; if tenants fail to appear, a default judgment is entered against them.

Cases not resolved at the settlement conference proceed to an eviction hearing on the fifth business day following the conference.

Courts must track all data on mandatory eviction settlement conference outcomes and report results to the administrative office of the courts.