Taryn Campbell (Of Counsel-Phoenix, AZ) and Nicholas Merritt (Associate-Phoenix, AZ) prevailed on a motion to dismiss on behalf of Wilson Elser’s public housing authority client in the Arizona Superior Court for Maricopa County. The lawsuit arose from events occurring in July and August 2024. Under Arizona law, claims against public entities have strict deadlines: claimants must serve a notice of claim within 180 days and file suit within one year. The plaintiff served her notice in April 2026 and filed suit in July 2026. The court held that the plaintiff’s state-law claims were time-barred and also rejected her argument that the claims did not accrue until she later suffered a medical episode. Instead, the court held that the claims accrued when the alleged harm occurred, in August 2024.
 
The court also dismissed the plaintiff’s federal civil rights claims under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, finding that the complaint failed to plausibly allege a constitutional violation. The eviction proceedings had gone through the courts, affording the plaintiff due process. Additionally, the complaint failed to allege that the claimed constitutional violation and harm resulted from an official policy, custom, or practice, as required in claims seeking to establish a public body's liability. The ruling underscores Arizona’s strict enforcement of notice-of-claim deadlines and demonstrates how public entities can successfully challenge weak claims at the pleading stage, avoiding costly discovery.