Rule 66.Receivers.

Last verified July 1, 2026

In one sentenceRule 66 governs how a court appoints, bonds, empowers, and eventually removes or terminates a receiver to manage property while an action is pending.

Full Text of Rule 66

Text sizeJump to: (a) (b) (c) (d)

(a) Application; service; notice; restraining order.

(1) Application, response, and hearing. A party seeking the appointment of a receiver must file an application for the receiver’s appointment, accompanied by an affidavit attesting to the facts supporting the application. Within 10 days after being served, the adverse party may file a response accompanied by one or more affidavits attesting to facts relevant to the application. Except as provided in Rule 66(a)(3), the court must hold a hearing on the application. At the hearing, it may consider testimony and other evidence presented by the parties.

(2) Service. Service must be made on the adverse party in the same manner that a summons and pleading are served under Rule 4, 4.1, or 4.2, as applicable. The court may not consider an application that has not been served on the adverse party unless:

(A) at least 10 days after filing the application, the applicant files an affidavit showing that all reasonable efforts have been made to serve the adverse party, and that personal service on the party cannot be made within Arizona or by direct service outside of Arizona; or

(B) the applicant shows that substantial cause exists for appointing a receiver before the adverse party is served.

(3) Appointment without notice. If a party applies for appointment of a receiver without notice, the court may either grant the application or, if the adverse party is available to be served, order the applicant to serve the adverse party and set a hearing on the application to be held no later than 10 days after the order’s entry.

(4) Bond. If the court grants an application for appointment of a receiver without notice, it must require—and the applicant must file—a bond in an amount the court fixes, with such surety as the court approves. The bond must be conditioned to indemnify the adverse party for costs and damages occasioned by the seizure, taking, and detention of the adverse party’s property.

(5) Rule 65’s applicability. The court may not consider an application for a receivership under this rule if Rule 65 applies.

(b) Appointment; oath; bond; certificate.

(1) Appointment. Except as stated in this rule, the court may not appoint as receiver a party, an officer or employee of a party, an attorney for a party, or a person interested in the action. The court, however, may appoint as receiver an employee of a party, an officer of a corporate party, or a person otherwise interested in the action, if:

(A) the court finds that the property has been abandoned or that the receiver’s duties will consist chiefly of physically preserving the property, collecting rents, or maturing, harvesting, and disposing of crops growing on it;

(B) notice is provided in a manner the court finds adequate; and

(2) Bond, oath, and certificate of appointment. Before performing the prescribed duties, a receiver must file a bond for the court to approve. The bond must be in the amount set forth in the receiver’s order of appointment, and must be conditioned on the receiver faithfully discharging his or her duties in the action and obeying the court’s orders. The receiver must make an oath to the same effect, which must be endorsed on the bond. Upon the court’s approval of the bond and the receiver making the required oath, the clerk must deliver a certificate of appointment to the receiver. The certificate must contain a description of the property involved in the action.

(1) Powers. A receiver may commence and defend actions, subject to the court’s control and supervision. A receiver may take and keep possession of the property, receive rents, collect debts, and perform such other duties respecting the property as the court orders.

(2) Suspension and removal. The court may suspend a receiver at any time and may, after providing reasonable notice, remove a receiver and appoint another.

(3) Termination. Any party may move to terminate a receivership. Unless the parties stipulate otherwise, the court must hold a hearing on the motion no sooner than 10 days after the motion’s service. In scheduling the hearing, the court may order the receiver to file and serve a final account and report, and may require any objecting party to file and serve written objections. At the hearing, the court may take evidence as is appropriate and may enter orders as are just concerning the receivership’s termination, including orders regarding the receiver’s fees and costs.

(4) Equitable principles govern. If applicable, principles of equity govern all matters relating to the appointment of receivers, their powers, duties and liabilities, and the court’s power.

(d) Dismissal. An action in which the court has appointed a receiver may not be dismissed except by court order.

End

Amendment History

Promulgated by R-16-0010, effective January 1, 2017.

Plain-English Summary

A party seeking a receiver files an application supported by an affidavit, and the adverse party has 10 days to respond with its own supporting affidavits; except in narrow circumstances, the court must hold a hearing before appointing a receiver. Service on the adverse party generally must happen first, though the court can act without notice if the applicant shows either that diligent efforts to serve the party have failed or that substantial cause exists to appoint a receiver immediately — in which case the court can still require the applicant to serve the adverse party afterward and hold a prompt follow-up hearing. Rule 66 doesn't apply where Rule 65's injunction procedures govern instead. The court generally can't appoint a party, its officer or employee, its attorney, or another interested person as receiver, except in specific situations — like preserving abandoned property or collecting rents — where adequate notice is given and no party objects.

Before taking on the role, a receiver must post a bond the court approves, take an oath endorsed on that bond, and receive a certificate of appointment describing the property involved. Once appointed, a receiver may sue and be sued, take possession of the property, collect rents and debts, and perform whatever other duties the court orders, always subject to the court's supervision. The court can suspend or, after reasonable notice, remove a receiver and appoint a replacement, and any party can move to terminate the receivership, triggering a hearing where the court can require a final accounting and resolve the receiver's fees and costs. An action with an appointed receiver can't be dismissed except by court order, and equitable principles govern receivership matters generally.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the court have to hold a hearing before appointing a receiver?

Generally yes, except in narrow circumstances such as when the receiver's appointment is sought without prior notice to the adverse party under the rule's specific provisions.

Can a party's own employee or officer serve as receiver?

Usually not, but the court may allow it in limited situations, such as when the receiver's duties are mainly to preserve abandoned property or collect rents, so long as adequate notice is given and no party objects.

What does a receiver have to do before starting their duties?

File a court-approved bond, take an oath endorsed on that bond, and receive a certificate of appointment describing the property involved in the action.

Can an action with a receiver be dismissed like any other case?

No. Once a receiver has been appointed, the action may not be dismissed except by court order.

Source & verification. The rule text and History are reproduced verbatim from the official Arizona Rules of Civil Procedure (Ariz. R. Civ. P. 66). Prescribed by the Supreme Court of Arizona (Ariz. Const. art. 6, § 5). The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified July 1, 2026. · Official source

Also known as: receivership ruleappointment of receiver rule