Landlord and Tenant Rights and Responsibilities

questions & answers

Question: tenant moved out of state but left there car behind and we found the keys to it in the grass what do we do with the car

Answer: The tenant abandoned their property, namely the car. Arizona law says that in such a case, a landlord must send the tenant a notice of abandonment certified mail at the tenant's last known address and post the notice at the rental property and store the property (the car) for the tenant for 10 days. If no word from the tenant during that time, the landlord can sell the property and apply the proceeds to any money owed by the tenant. You will need to contact DMV to get an Abandoned Vehicle Title to the car in your name so you can sell it. If there is a surplus, the landlord must send it to the tenant at their last known address. If the landlord can't find the tenant, they must hold onto the surplus funds. They also must keep records for 12 months of money owed, sale proceeds, etc.