Below is an outline of our story. We have made no accusations, but only telling our story as it happened to us.
Who enforces the laws here in Arizona!? Too many laws are being broken in Sundance RV Park, yet no one will own up to it.
We lived in Sundance RV park for six years and thought everything was rosy. We purchased a park model from the owner (Joe Lampe/Yuma Park Assoc/Lampe & Co.) of the park in April of 2011 on an owner contract.
On June 6th we received notice from a process server of the park NOT renewing our lease with no explanation after 2 1/2 years in the park model (6 years total in the park). We asked for an explanation, but the owner refused to answer us. We put our place up for sale; we were heartbroken. We felt the owner was holding us hostage. We had always made our payments two weeks ahead of due date. The contract stated we could not move the park model unless it was paid in full. So it was either pay it off, or he would repossess it. He all of a sudden wanted his money. Do banks do this after promptly making every payment?
We had over $10,000 of improvements in it, of which we have all of the receipts to show. THEN we found out the owner had never put our name on the title like the owner contract stated (we somehow didn't realize this, but went on with life). This we knew was a BREACH OF CONTRACT. So we looked and found a rental while we tried to "sell" our place.
Then the unthinkable happened. On July 26th we were taking another load to our new rental and left around 10:50-11:00 AM. The maintenance crew watched us load up. We came back around 5:30 PM and found a notice posted on our doors: NO TRESPASSING PER YUMA PARK ASSOCIATES, LTD, LAMPE AND COMPANY, INC. GENERAL PARTNER. ISSUES JULY 26, 2013, 11:08 AM (8 minutes after we left). PLUS......the manager, Mary Zenger, took our patio furniture, barbque, and even the utiliity sink (of which they disconnected) $1900 worth of our belongings. We called the sheriff; the manager's response was "it was abandoned" and she did this on the advice of the owner's attorney. NO ATTORNEY WOULD TILL HER TO DO THIS WITHOUT A COURT ORDER. The sheriff even told her that. Abandoned? With a FOR SALE sign in the window and our patio furniture on the patio? Who deemed it abandoned? Our lot lease was paid up until October 26, 2013. They're telling us we were behind in payments. Did we know this? Were we notified? We sent our payment on July 2nd, which wasn't due until July 15th. Again, did we know this?
Want can we do about this? We have found that tenants are led to believe they can't fight for their rights. They're right; they can't fight. Management has them right where they want them; by the short hairs. Seniors think they can't fight back for fear of eviction; retaliation. The Manager, Mary Zenger, has threatened many times to many people saying: don't talk about "such and such" or I won't renew your lease. Whatever happened to Freedom of Speech? The unfortunate thruth in Arizona is that to go after a landlord or park owner, it will cost money to hire an attorney and possibly file a lawsuit that ends up in court, costing additional money. Many landlords rely on the fact that the average homeowner may not have the financial capability to fight them; thus they get away with taking unethical and sometimes illegal actions without being challenged.
After two months we finally found an attorney, but in truth, no one wants to fight this owner. He's too powerful. And of course, we don't have the money, of which he is banking on.
But HIS attorney isn't even addressing the issue of BREACH OF CONTRACT. HIS attorney is saying they didn't have a forwarding address for us. We have a written statement from the man that does the mail at the park that we had given him new address labels. HIS attorney called us a liar and said we never sent the July payment. Did we get notice from the owner telling us he never received our payment? No! Even a mortgage company sends a notice. We had sent a cashier's check, and have a copy. If we didn't sent it, why would we even bother to purchase it? Let's see, with a bank loan they can't all of a sudden decide they want all of their money, so why should he be able to? Convenient he wouldn't renew our lease; his way of saying he wants his money.
If didn't have a new address for us, how did we get a certified letter from HIS attorney? Of which we did not get until August 16th telling us we were in default of the July payment not being received so the whole balance was due. It was convenient we didn't get notice until after it was apparent the whole balance would be due.
HIS attorney pretty much told our attorney that the owner will do whatever it takes to drag this out so we run out of money. HE will paper us to death with constant accusations and not even answer the isue of BREACH OF CONTRACT.
We also found out that on September 6, 2013, HE actually changed the title to the park model to Lampe & Co. It was originally under Yuma Park Assoc. Now why would he do that? What is HE trying to hide?
HIS attorney was alo trying to say it wasn't a "park model" according to the law and they don't have to give us a reason for not renewing our lease.
We have a written document from the president of "Arizona Association of Manufactured Homes and RV Owners" stating it IS a park model and they DO have to give just cause for not renewing our lease.
Then HIS attorny said there were some "accusations" of us being unruly and yelling at tenants. Yelling? Is there documentation of this? Did we know about this? We feel were are being set up in that respect. They are fishing, and the accusations are bogus or they would show us proof. But again, they are dancing around the main issue: BREACH OF CONTRACT.
We've suffered emotionally and fincially through all of this. We finally said "If this is how Arizona threats their seniors, we want nothing to do with it". We've written the the Governor, the Attorney General, and many more. Their response; yes, you need help, he is in the wrong, but you need an attorney.
How can we fight? We can spread the word. That's called Freedom of Speech! We found Sundance is breaking many laws according to the Arizona Recreational Vehicle Long-Term Rental Space Act. We will tell every Snowbird when they get down here. We will fight the fight. We really don't have anything to lose. He's already destroyed us and we still don't know what we did wrong. If we didn't fight, we would lose. If we do fight, we're still going to lose.
All in all, what do we want? We want our money back! We want him made accoutable for what he has done. AND WE WANT ANSWER! We filed with the Better Business Bureau. HIS response/rebuttal was we are "unhappy" with the contract now. Unhappy? No.....he didn't uphold his end of the contract, simple as that.
Sundance RV Resort Reviews
Below is an outline of our story. We have made no accusations, but only telling our story as it happened to us.
Who enforces the laws here in Arizona!? Too many laws are being broken in Sundance RV Park, yet no one will own up to it.
We lived in Sundance RV park for six years and thought everything was rosy. We purchased a park model from the owner (Joe Lampe/Yuma Park Assoc/Lampe & Co.) of the park in April of 2011 on an owner contract.
On June 6th we received notice from a process server of the park NOT renewing our lease with no explanation after 2 1/2 years in the park model (6 years total in the park). We asked for an explanation, but the owner refused to answer us. We put our place up for sale; we were heartbroken. We felt the owner was holding us hostage. We had always made our payments two weeks ahead of due date. The contract stated we could not move the park model unless it was paid in full. So it was either pay it off, or he would repossess it. He all of a sudden wanted his money. Do banks do this after promptly making every payment?
We had over $10,000 of improvements in it, of which we have all of the receipts to show. THEN we found out the owner had never put our name on the title like the owner contract stated (we somehow didn't realize this, but went on with life). This we knew was a BREACH OF CONTRACT. So we looked and found a rental while we tried to "sell" our place.
Then the unthinkable happened. On July 26th we were taking another load to our new rental and left around 10:50-11:00 AM. The maintenance crew watched us load up. We came back around 5:30 PM and found a notice posted on our doors: NO TRESPASSING PER YUMA PARK ASSOCIATES, LTD, LAMPE AND COMPANY, INC. GENERAL PARTNER. ISSUES JULY 26, 2013, 11:08 AM (8 minutes after we left). PLUS......the manager, Mary Zenger, took our patio furniture, barbque, and even the utiliity sink (of which they disconnected) $1900 worth of our belongings. We called the sheriff; the manager's response was "it was abandoned" and she did this on the advice of the owner's attorney. NO ATTORNEY WOULD TILL HER TO DO THIS WITHOUT A COURT ORDER. The sheriff even told her that. Abandoned? With a FOR SALE sign in the window and our patio furniture on the patio? Who deemed it abandoned? Our lot lease was paid up until October 26, 2013. They're telling us we were behind in payments. Did we know this? Were we notified? We sent our payment on July 2nd, which wasn't due until July 15th. Again, did we know this?
Want can we do about this? We have found that tenants are led to believe they can't fight for their rights. They're right; they can't fight. Management has them right where they want them; by the short hairs. Seniors think they can't fight back for fear of eviction; retaliation. The Manager, Mary Zenger, has threatened many times to many people saying: don't talk about "such and such" or I won't renew your lease. Whatever happened to Freedom of Speech? The unfortunate thruth in Arizona is that to go after a landlord or park owner, it will cost money to hire an attorney and possibly file a lawsuit that ends up in court, costing additional money. Many landlords rely on the fact that the average homeowner may not have the financial capability to fight them; thus they get away with taking unethical and sometimes illegal actions without being challenged.
After two months we finally found an attorney, but in truth, no one wants to fight this owner. He's too powerful. And of course, we don't have the money, of which he is banking on.
But HIS attorney isn't even addressing the issue of BREACH OF CONTRACT. HIS attorney is saying they didn't have a forwarding address for us. We have a written statement from the man that does the mail at the park that we had given him new address labels. HIS attorney called us a liar and said we never sent the July payment. Did we get notice from the owner telling us he never received our payment? No! Even a mortgage company sends a notice. We had sent a cashier's check, and have a copy. If we didn't sent it, why would we even bother to purchase it? Let's see, with a bank loan they can't all of a sudden decide they want all of their money, so why should he be able to? Convenient he wouldn't renew our lease; his way of saying he wants his money.
If didn't have a new address for us, how did we get a certified letter from HIS attorney? Of which we did not get until August 16th telling us we were in default of the July payment not being received so the whole balance was due. It was convenient we didn't get notice until after it was apparent the whole balance would be due.
HIS attorney pretty much told our attorney that the owner will do whatever it takes to drag this out so we run out of money. HE will paper us to death with constant accusations and not even answer the isue of BREACH OF CONTRACT.
We also found out that on September 6, 2013, HE actually changed the title to the park model to Lampe & Co. It was originally under Yuma Park Assoc. Now why would he do that? What is HE trying to hide?
HIS attorney was alo trying to say it wasn't a "park model" according to the law and they don't have to give us a reason for not renewing our lease.
We have a written document from the president of "Arizona Association of Manufactured Homes and RV Owners" stating it IS a park model and they DO have to give just cause for not renewing our lease.
Then HIS attorny said there were some "accusations" of us being unruly and yelling at tenants. Yelling? Is there documentation of this? Did we know about this? We feel were are being set up in that respect. They are fishing, and the accusations are bogus or they would show us proof. But again, they are dancing around the main issue: BREACH OF CONTRACT.
We've suffered emotionally and fincially through all of this. We finally said "If this is how Arizona threats their seniors, we want nothing to do with it". We've written the the Governor, the Attorney General, and many more. Their response; yes, you need help, he is in the wrong, but you need an attorney.
How can we fight? We can spread the word. That's called Freedom of Speech! We found Sundance is breaking many laws according to the Arizona Recreational Vehicle Long-Term Rental Space Act. We will tell every Snowbird when they get down here. We will fight the fight. We really don't have anything to lose. He's already destroyed us and we still don't know what we did wrong. If we didn't fight, we would lose. If we do fight, we're still going to lose.
All in all, what do we want? We want our money back! We want him made accoutable for what he has done. AND WE WANT ANSWER! We filed with the Better Business Bureau. HIS response/rebuttal was we are "unhappy" with the contract now. Unhappy? No.....he didn't uphold his end of the contract, simple as that.