Updated 2/1/09
Per clarification received from Chris Boyd, Code Enforcement Manager, the "Authority to Arrest Form" is only required on properties that have not been adequately maintained and have the civil citations adjudicated in court. The "Authority to Arrest Form" is not required on all vacant and abandoned properties.

The city of Surprise AZ City Council approved the Abandoned and Foreclosed Property Action Plan which includes preventive measures, issuance of civil citations for associated code violations and a new requirement to submit an "Authority to Arrest Form" for all "abandoned and foreclosed properties".

Key points of the Plan include;

• The Community Development Department will send a letter to the CEOs, Community Relations and Legal Departments of the largest lenders outlining the manner in which all property in the City of Surprise should be maintained and the expectation for their respective companies to be a positive member of the community.
• The Neighborhood Services Division will utilize a Maricopa County database to identify the address and trustee for every foreclosed property.
• Community Development Department will utilize the database to identify Surprise homeowners who have received the initial notice from a lender regarding the foreclosure sale of the property and notify them of the resources available to avoid foreclosure as well as their responsibilities to continue to maintain the property in accordance with state statute, city code, HOA CC&Rs, and their respective lending agreements.
• Civil and Criminal Penalties - violations to be designated a civil or criminal violation. Local court rules will provide the Surprise Municipal Court a graduated fine schedule with mandatory minimum fines and maximum fines of $2500.00 per day per violation. The City Attorney has directed the City Prosecutor to ask for maximum fines in any case involving an abandoned or foreclosed property.
• To address unauthorized persons using abandoned and foreclosed properties (squatters), the Code Enforcement Division will request all owners of abandoned and foreclosed properties to complete an authority to arrest form for each property.

To view the City's Press Release, please click here

To view the Plan, please click here  

To view local media coverage, please click here

About Safeguard
Safeguard Properties is the largest privately held field services company in the country. Located in Cleveland, Ohio and founded in 1990 by Robert Klein, Safeguard has grown from a regional preservation company with a few employees and a handful of contractors performing services in the Midwest, to a national company with over 500 employees. Safeguard is supported by a nationwide network of subcontractors able to perform any requested superintendence, preservation, and maintenance functions, as well as numerous ancillary services in the U.S., the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico