Imagine two different landlords claiming that you need to pay them, and not the other.
One Valley woman says it's happening to her, and she doesn't know what to do.
Since September 2017, Denise Dora and her family have been paying rent to the family who owns her rental condo at La Mirada in Phoenix.
But in December she says she got a one page notice that things had changed.
"It said your unit is owned by La Mirada holdings," she says.
An abrupt notice: new owner, new property manager, new people to pay.
Confused, she called the original landlord.
"She told me well don't worry about it. It's fine. We own it," Denise explained.
To be sure, she even checked Maricopa County Assessor's Office.
"It's all in her name."
Three weeks later she says she received another one page notice.
"I just want something legal and binding in writing so I know, so I can be protected." And she says when she asked the new property management she was told, "You need to pay rent. I'll give you by Monday or I'm giving you a five day."
Stuck between two potential owners Denise isn't sure who to pay. So she let me know.
Filings with the Maricopa County Recorder’s office show that La Mirada Condominium Association sold the complex to investors in December of 2017.
The Arizona Condominium Termination law allows it. Saying that owners can be forced to sell their property if 80 percent of the HOA agrees. Whether they want to or not.
What the law doesn't seem to address: how to assure renters that legally they are paying the right people.
"Just giving that money blindly to someone you don't know for sure? That's very unsettling," Denise says.
She is still waiting for something other than a sheet of paper to confirm who her landlord really is, and to make sure she won't be on the hook for not paying the old owner.
We contacted investment group Jevan Capital, they say they did everything according to the law. Their attorney tells me Denise should have received additional documents and will contact her.
