This company ripped me off both personally and business wise! The owner needed a personal loan of $300.00 which I gave with the understanding he would pay me back the following week in kind - cash. He did not. He gave me checks that were 'hot' from would be clients of Az Tenants who (he knew) had put a stop payment on the checks which by the time I found out had put NSF fees against my bank account.
Finally, he says his check was 'good' and to cash it. I did. I bounced higher then the others! Resulting in now hundreds of dollars in NSF charges that I could not pay back resulting in me being listed on Chex Sys and not being able to get another bank account.
There is more! I had to pay to break a lease with a property mgmt company that had rented me an apartment (sight unseen - as they do these days. They show you a 'model'. Thinking because it was on the border between Scottsdale and Paradise Valley and listed in Apartments Guide with a high rating I trusted the mgmt. I found out after I got the keys the apartment was atrocious! Anyway, I refused to move in and the apartment complex didn't care and started charging me after the free month.
I went to Az Tenants for help after seeing them advertised on the back page of the New Times.
Unfortunately, they took advantage of me. It was a woman and the owner, Ken Volk who convinced me that they would not only legally break my lease in 4 months or less they would get all my deposits back and keep my credit in good standing (rental). I gave them the one months' rent to begin my case.
To make a long story short they did nothing but send out form letters customized with my name, address, etc. When the attorney for the mgmt company threatened me they sent back a retort in a letter that bordered on rhetoric! But when I questioned them they said it was very effective and the attorney would cease and desist his threats. It wasn't true. They not only made good their threats but dinged my credit with a bad rating for ever renting another apartment or house and charged me several months rents, late fees, attorney fees, etc. Amounting to (last count) almost $4,000.00!
I had been in touch with Ken and his office who (if they answered or responded to my phone calls, emails or visits said they were 'working on it' and not to worry. They kept this up when they responded at all. When they didn't they would ignore me for months at a time.
Finally, I threaten to file charges against them with the Arizona Attorney's Office. They merely said all I had to do was call this # and they would 'erase' my bad credit ding. I wondered how much that would cost and if it was just another ruse? I asked what about my $689.00 deposit that there own website claimed they would refund if they didn't 'break your lease'? No comment.
I asked what about the nearly $4,000.00 negative on my credit from the mgmt company? No response. What about my inability to ever have a normal bank account again and the bad report with Chex Systems? No comment. I filed a charge against them with Arizona Attorney General's Office and am considering filing with the Dept of Justice and other agencies and law enforcements.
These people have to be stopped. I found out (after the fact) that I could have just paid the apartment complex a month and a half rent and they would have let me out of my lease. When I mentioned that to Ken and his assistant I was told it would not get me back my deposit. I decided to continue with them.
I regret ever hearing the name Arizona Tenants' Advocates.
If you have a problem with a landlord and want some help you're better off going to an attorney, the landlord/property mgr or a tv station then going to Arizona Tenants. Don't make the same dumb mistakes and misplaced trust that I did. My money was the right 'color'. Enough said.
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