$384,076

Money raised through Sept. 22 by the Homeowners' Bill of Rights Committee

$1,014,721

Money raised by Arizonans Against Lawsuit Abuse, same period

$919,721

Contributions to Arizonans Against Lawsuit Abuse from the Home Builders Association of Central Arizona, including a $500,000 loan

Source: Arizona Secretary of State's Office

Don Latham, treasurer of the Homeowners' Bill of Rights Committee — which is largely made up of members of Sheet Metal Workers Local 359 — said the current law sets out a mediation process that frequently gets people to a certain point where the problem won't be fixed, leaving court proceedings as the only option.

But if a home buyer takes the seller to court and loses, the buyer must pay all the attorneys' fees.

"The way it's set up now, you can't file a lawsuit, because who could afford to lose?" Latham said.

He said claims that the initiative would lead to lawsuits gone wild are unfounded.

Furthermore, he added, "if a home builder builds it right the first time, they won't have lawsuits."

The pro-201 group also contends that the secretary of state's descriptive title and ballot description misstate the measure's effect on arbitration.

Tucsonan Chuck Freitas, who owns Falcon Pools Inc., says Proposition 201 would short-circuit existing dispute-resolution programs and delay repairs.

"It eliminates our present law, which does provide for reasonable resolution of disputes," he said, citing Arizona's current "opportunity to repair" law.

"It eliminates that, and in its place it prohibits a defendant from collecting attorneys' fees and costs, even if they prevail in a lawsuit," Freitas said. "The fairness doctrine in existing law is removed."

The potential to delay repairs for homeowners due to lengthy court processes is huge, he said.

"It really plugs up the whole system of getting a repair done reasonably quick for a consumer or a homeowner. It delays the whole repair process. I wouldn't want that," he said.