APACHE JUNCTION, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) — Some people living in Apache Junction are now faced with paying almost triple their rent, or they are forced to move out. They say they were blindsided when their property management company sent them a notice by mail. “I wanted to retire this year. I can’t do it now. I can’t retire,” renter Zane Proctor said.
Proctor has lived in his mobile home with his wife, kids and dogs for years. He says he and his neighbors pay between three and six hundred dollars a month in rent. “Everyone has been in this park for 10 to 20 years,” Proctor said.
He and his neighbors recently received a letter in the mail. It says, “The new monthly rent will be $1000+, and if you agree, we can sign a new lease, or you can vacate this property via this 30 day notice.” It also says, “The change will kick in October 1.”
Renters say they got this letter just last week. That gives them a little over a month to make a decision. “Everybody was really upset about this because everyone got blindsided,” Proctor said.
“I don’t know what the reason behind it was,” another renter, David Godsey, said. We, too, wanted answers. Why is the rent going up this much? Why were these renters given such short notice?
The letter was sent by Lemon Holdings LLC. We showed up at their door after trying to get hold of them through phone and email. Still, no one has responded. “It’s like these guys just don’t care,” Godsey said.
According to Zumper, the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Apache Junction is $1,195. These renters say they know their current rent is fairly low; they just wish they were given more time to make arrangements. “We actually want to get out of here,” Godsey said. “But to do that when we were trying to get ahead so we could actually move, it hurts. It’s wrong.”
Arizona’s Family will continue to reach out to the property management company. Renters say they’ve also reached out with their questions and complaints and haven’t been able to get hold of anyone. “They’re coming in, buying property and jacking up everything and it’s making it hard for normal, average people to live,” Proctor said. “I don’t know what to do. I don’t know where to go.”
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