Lawyers for housing advocates petition Ariz. court

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PHOENIX (AP) - Lawyers for housing advocates have filed a petition for special action with the Arizona Court of Appeals in a mortgage settlement case.

They're asking for an expedited resolution of their challenge to Arizona's use of $50 million from a multistate foreclosure settlement to help balance the state budget.

A Maricopa County Superior Court judge earlier this month dismissed a lawsuit challenging how the state is using some of the settlement money paid Arizona by lenders. The judge ruled that the Legislature decides how to spend the state's money.

The petition was filed Friday by the Arizona Center for Law in the Public Interest and the William E. Morris Institute for Justice.

They say the money is needed now by distressed homeowners, not at the end of a lengthy appeals process.