Here is the story: My girlfriend and I resigned a 1 year lease for our house in May. After we signed the lease, two weeks later we received a letter from the HOA that it hasn't been payed for several months. Our HOA fees are supposed to be paid for by the landlord per our lease agreement.
We are renting through a property management company, and the person who is in charge of this house tells me everything is fine and that the owner just "forgot" to pay it. One week later, we got a notice that the sewer was going to be disconnected, because it hasn't been payed (again, it's in the lease agreement that the landlord pays sewer). I called the person in charge and got the same song and dance....
During the month of July, while going through the Pinal County registry, we find that the owner of the home is 8K behind on his mortgage payment, and the house goes up for auction Oct 1st 2008. Come to find out, he owns 6 other homes in the same neighborhood where we live.
Now from what I have heard is that Arizona renters have very limited legal grounds as far as renting. We cannot break our lease until the house is taken by the bank or is sold to another person.
We are concerned that if this happens, a sheriff will be knocking on the door telling us to get out in 24 hours or less, or he'll lock us out.
Even other leasing company's won't let us sign another lease until the one we are in is either broken by the landlord or when the lease runs out.
So to all you renters out there that are in Arizona, beware of the house that you're living in. Make sure that you check that the homeowner is keeping up with his payments, and isn't going to leave you out to dry!
Cliffs:
We are renting through a property management company, and the person who is in charge of this house tells me everything is fine and that the owner just "forgot" to pay it. One week later, we got a notice that the sewer was going to be disconnected, because it hasn't been payed (again, it's in the lease agreement that the landlord pays sewer). I called the person in charge and got the same song and dance....
During the month of July, while going through the Pinal County registry, we find that the owner of the home is 8K behind on his mortgage payment, and the house goes up for auction Oct 1st 2008. Come to find out, he owns 6 other homes in the same neighborhood where we live.
Now from what I have heard is that Arizona renters have very limited legal grounds as far as renting. We cannot break our lease until the house is taken by the bank or is sold to another person.
We are concerned that if this happens, a sheriff will be knocking on the door telling us to get out in 24 hours or less, or he'll lock us out.
Even other leasing company's won't let us sign another lease until the one we are in is either broken by the landlord or when the lease runs out.
So to all you renters out there that are in Arizona, beware of the house that you're living in. Make sure that you check that the homeowner is keeping up with his payments, and isn't going to leave you out to dry!
Cliffs:
- Resigned new yearly lease agreement in May for the house we're living in.
- Find out Homeowner is not paying bills/mortgage that are guaranteed paid for by lease agreement 2 months afterwards.
- Further find out that our house goes up for auction 10/01/08 as well as other houses he owns in same neighborhood, since his houses went into foreclosure.
- Leasing company refuses to let us out of lease until house goes to auction due to being legally binded to the lease agreement, and we will face legal retribution if we do not pay rent. Which is tolerated in AZ since AZ renters have limited rights.
- Afraid we won't find out that information, and get kicked out of our home with only hours to move out.
- Can't get into new place until current lease agreement is null and void.
- AZ home renters: Watch your ass!
