questions & answers

Question: I live in a mobile home park with 90 spaces. We own our homes, but pay rent for the lot. The park sold recently to a property management person who lives and works in the L.A. California area. She has not hired a manager to be on the premises.If we have any problems we need to call her telephone number in California. She has a couple who live in the park that she refers maintenance problems to. They have no authority to answer any questions about anything. We have been given a list of rules and regulations, but no one is here to see that they are adhered to. Is a manager required?

Answer: Under the Section 33-1432 of the Arizona Mobile Home Parks Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, the landlord or any person authorized to enter into a rental agreement on the landlord’s behalf must disclose to the tenant in writing each of the following: 1. The name and address of the person authorized to manage the premises. 2. The name and address of the owner of the premises. 3. If applicable, the name and address of a person authorized to act for and on behalf of the owner for the purpose of service of process and for the purpose of receiving and receipting for notices and demands. If the landlord has failed to provide her tenants with any of the these items, then she has violated the Act. Although the Arizona Mobile Home Parks Residential Landlord and Tenant Act repeatedly discusses the duties and responsibilities of the park manager – which it defines in Section 33-1409 as the person who is primarily responsible for the day-to-day operation of a mobile home park – it does not state explicitly that the park manager must live in the park. However, if by virtue of the fact that the landlord lives and works in California, no one is managing the park and problems are not being solved or questions are not being answered, then she is most likely in breach of her duties to her tenants and thus in violation of the Act.