Opinion ID: 1244560
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: statute of limitations is an affirmative defense

Text: Having found A.R.S. § 23-1061(A) to be constitutional, we now turn to the question of whether the one-year statute of limitations, as provided in A.R.S. § 23-1061(A), acts as an affirmative defense or a jurisdictional bar. As previously discussed, the legislature expressly amended A.R.S. § 23-1061 in 1968 by providing: The issue of failure to file a claim must be raised at the first hearing on a claim for compensation.... A.R.S. § 23-1061(D). The current statute retains this provision which consistently has been construed to act as an affirmative defense. Priedigkeit v. Industrial Comm'n, 20 Ariz. App. at 597, 514 P.2d at 1048 (one-year filing requirement is in the nature of an affirmative defense). Failure to file timely was deemed waived if not timely asserted. Magma Copper Co. v. Industrial Comm'n, 139 Ariz. 38, 44, 676 P.2d 1096, 1102 (1983); Priedigkeit, 20 Ariz. App. at 597, 514 P.2d at 1048; 3 A. Larson, Workmen's Compensation Law § 78.72 (1983 & Supp. 1985). Treating the one-year filing requirement as an affirmative defense is consistent with general civil procedure. See Dicenso v. Bryant Air Conditioning Co., 131 Ariz. 605, 606, 643 P.2d 701, 702 (1982) (affirmative defense of statute of limitations may be raised by motion in Arizona). But see Transamerica Ins. Co. v. Trout, 145 Ariz. 355, 358, 701 P.2d 851, 854 (App. 1985) (statute of limitations defense waived only if it is not asserted prior to judgment). Without deleting A.R.S. § 23-1061(D), the legislature inserted new language into subsection A: neither the commission nor any court shall have jurisdiction to consider a claim which is not timely filed.... A.R.S. § 23-1061(A). Recognizing the conflict presented by this language, the court of appeals in the instant case offered this explanation: Although the legislature used the word jurisdiction, the word jurisdiction is often used ambiguously and we believe that the legislature meant jurisdiction in the sense of authority to grant relief. The one year limitation period is clearly not jurisdictional in the strict sense in light of subsection (D), which has been repeatedly interpreted by the courts as making timeliness an affirmative defense. Allen, 152 Ariz. at 404 n. 2, 733 P.2d at 289 n. 2 (citations omitted). We agree. The one-year filing requirement is in the nature of an affirmative defense and will be deemed waived unless timely asserted.