Phoenix Tenants Union

08/07/2020

A tenant who has been affected negatively by the COVID-19 lock-down needs our help recovering her vehicle. Please chip in if you can, or share if you can't. Thank you

Despite my efforts to work with the credit union for a loan deferment, my car has been repossess… Chimene Hawes needs your support for Recover Repossessed Car

08/03/2020

THERE IS NO EVICTION MORATORIUM IN ARIZONA

What’s up Phoenix, we’ve been meaning to make a post about this for a while now, but have been inundated with stories of folks being evicted and receiving lease termination notices. Casework is our priority.

Anyways, about a week ago now, this story of the great “eviction moratorium” of our great and perfect leader Governor Doug Ducey being extended till October 31st thanks to his kind graces, started circulating around local news and elected officials social media account. We shared in our story that this was state-sponsored disinformation, but we’re going official with the post now.

Q: So, what is it that got extended anyways?

A: Executive Order 2020-14 (EO 2020-14)

Q: What’s that?

A: That’s the executive order that Douchey(sic) put into law March 24, 2020, and that contains stipulations that affect renters in AZ.

Q: Does EO 2020-14 protect tenants against being evicted?

A: No.

Q: Is there an eviction moratorium in Arizona?

A: No.

Q: Are people still getting evicted?

A: Yes.

Q: So what does EO 2020-14 actually do?

A: The text can be interpreted many ways, but in essence, it provides an optional DELAY of the ENFORCEMENT of an eviction action, at the discretion of any person that answers to the “constable ethics standard and training board” i.e. the CONSTABLE and THEIR OFFICERS (Maricopa County Sheriff Office).

Q: But does it stop an eviction in court?

A: No. As stated, it only delays the ENFORCEMENT of the eviction action. It doesn’t change an eviction action judgment.

Q: So, if someone gets an eviction judgment ruled against them, what happens?

A: A defendant in Maricopa County Justice Courts has 5 “calendar days” from the date of judgment to file an appeal. If no appeal is filed with accurate, corresponding supersedeas bond (a s**t ton of money), the constable aka Maricopa County Sheriff Office, can come to the tenant’s house on the 6th calendar day.

Q: What happens then?

A: Well, the constable (aka Maricopa County Sheriff Office) has the discretion (aka the power) to decide, based on the evidence that the tenant provides them, be it that they have COVID-19, that they are caring for someone who has COVID-19, that they lost their job due to COVID-19, or that they are at risk for COVID-19, to allow them to stay in their home or not.

Q: Really?

A: Yes, really. It’s up to some washed up dude who ran for office 4 years ago that nobody paid attention to then.

Q: What if they decide to let the tenant stay?

A: That’s great if they let the tenant stay, but that only means that that constable has enacted the powers of EO 2020-14, and allowed the tenant to stay until 120 days after March 24, 2020, or July 22, 2020, and now, with the extension that our beloved and mighty ruler Doug Ducey issued, until October 31, 2020 (supposedly).

Q: So, does that mean the tenant is not evicted?

A: No. That means the tenant has until October 31 to g**o of their house. They can no longer live there. They have been evicted.

Q: So, is there an eviction moratorium in Arizona?

A: No. Our “leaders” have failed us. Although they are elected officials, they only answer to property owners, and those that financially support their campaign or who hold power in the Arizona economy, in one way or another. That’s not only Governor Doug Ducey, but Mayor Kate Gallego, Kyrsten Sinema, U.S. Senator Martha McSally, all of Phoenix City Council, the City of Phoenix, AZ USA, Arizona Department of Housing . Everyone. They have all let us down.

Q: What can we do?

A: You can share this information with your friends and family and contact Governor Doug Ducey and all of the elected officials we mentioned and ask them why they have failed us all, and demand that they enact greater protections for tenants, at least within their jurisdiction i.e. City of Phoenix or City of Tempe vs all of AZ.

PS: We have copied the text from the governor’s Executive Order 2020-14 into a google document that you can access here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hTjbsbsAN90x2nJSL1mEip7p02R5HDlkUSktZZiyuVI/edit?usp=sharing

Thank you for reading!
Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for caring!

08/02/2020

Sign up to attend hearings in Maricopa County Justice Court through the following link:

07/16/2020

*CALL TO ACTION!*

Help Evelyn Stay in Her Home!

Dear friends and supporters,

Last month, we received a call for assistance from Evelyn Nieto, a Phoenix resident, who received a thirty day termination notice after complaining to her property manager about a defective air conditioning unit.

We've supported Evelyn in her fight to keep her housing, and yesterday attempted to call her property manager John Fagundes, to address the matter amicably. John, who is the owner at AZ Real Estate and Property Management, didn't have the courtesy of answering his phone on two separate occasions (2pm and 4pm), and also didn't reply to our follow up email. He finally returned our call this morning and said it was "out of the question" for Evelyn to stay in her home.

We're asking folks to help Evelyn out by calling John and his henchmen directly, and/or by sending them an email asking them to rescind the thirty day termination notice, and to let Evelyn renew her lease.

Here's the phone script:

"Hello, my name is ______ and I am a member of the Phoenix Tenants Union. I am calling in support of Evelyn Nieto who is unfairly being displaced from their home. Please rescind last month’s Thirty Day Termination Notice, stop the harassment, make overdue repairs; and renew Evelyn’s lease. The Phoenix Tenants Union is committed to supporting Evelyn Nieto until these issues are resolved."

John Fagundes (Owner) (602) 497-3868 or 602-320-0406 or 602-712-9500 Ext. 108
Jared Conrad (Co-Owner) (602) 799-7215
Nicholas Ambrose 602-712-9500 x 109
Morgan Weese 602-712-9500 X103 or 480-310-9960
Michelle Dryden 602-712-9500 Ext. 101 or 602-615-9371
Call all of them if possible! Use *67 before dialing to mask your number if you are concerned about privacy.

You can also email John at [email protected] and his employees at the following email addresses (we encourage cc'ing them):
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected].

Here is a sample email below.
If possible please make calls & send emails TODAY.
Let us know how it goes, and feel free to share this email with friends, or share the script to your social media. We will post this info to Instagram with the same text shortly.

Thank you!
PS: We will write to you again when John and AZREAPM decides to change their stance, and you can call and email them non stop until we let you know otherwise!
-----------
Hello,
My name is _____ and I am a member of the Phoenix Tenants Union.
We are aware of Evelyn Nieto’s situation and are writing in support of changes they would like made:
-Please rescind the Thirty Day Termination Notice
-Please allow Evelyn to renew their lease for another year.
-Please make overdue repairs.
-Please stop harassing Evelyn through your vendors.
The Phoenix Tenants Union is committed to supporting Evelyn Nieto and we will stand by them until these issues are resolved.
Thank you,
[Name]

07/12/2020

We’re going to ATUN’s Eviction Defense Training tomorrow. Are you?

07/08/2020

LINK IN BIO!

Dear friends, we are planning some future actions and would like to be able to communicate directly to those who are ready and willing to support our cause, while maintaining the privacy of those who need our support. We’ve created a newsletter signup form that you can fill out, and the link is in our bio. We will not spam you, and will only reach out if support is needed. NB: You don’t need to live in Phoenix, Arizona, or even the USA to signup. We can use any and all help, and so do our members. Thanks in advance! @ Phoenix, Arizona

07/07/2020

We are going to need folks to help us with actions against predatory Phoenix landlords and property management companies. Please sign up to our newsletter so we can reach out to you directly!

Phoenix Tenants Union Email Forms

07/06/2020

07/03/2020

Here’s a link to register to vote in Arizona for the August 4 statewide elections. A lot of important elections, namely the 9 justice of the peace elections that oversee eviction hearings for the next 4 years. Also, if anyone would like to run for one of these positions, we can help you.

Voter registration via MVD in Arizona. Vehicle title, registration and renewal, custom and specialty license plates, duplicate driver's license and ID, and more.

06/08/2020

If our news media was as caring at the loss of human life, as they are at the loss of property, our society would be better off.

Videos and photographs shared by the fire department showed a massive blaze on the western edge of the Arizona city’s Warehouse District and less than a mile south of the Sandra Day O’Connor U.S. Courthouse.

06/01/2020

Today is Monday June 1st, 2020, and rent is due for thousands of Phoenix tenants who continue to struggle in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Though our governor Doug Doucey has instructed the state to reopen for business, tenants are still suffering the staggering cost of weeks spent sheltering in place. We have been staying home without pay, and without any guarantees that we will ever get our jobs back.

Many have received unemployment insurance assistance, but many more have been denied.

While Mayor Kate Gallego and the City of Phoenix is quickly spending its COVID-19 windfall on infrastructure, families are struggling not just to keep food on the table, but a roof over their head. And while temperatures rise, new health concerns are mounting.

We are facing an unprecedented housing crisis, with thousands at risk of being displaced.

Though our state representatives have rushed to reassure us that we will be safe, the message is not clear nor confident.

The US Department of Housing and Urban Development, or HUD, put out the following press release concerning renters and COVID-19:

https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/USHUDPIH/2020/04/28/file_attachments/1438116/PIH%20Tenant%20Flyer%20on%20the%20Eviction%20Moratorium%20Flyer_Published.pdf

It states that evictions will not take place, but in reality, that is far from the truth. Doug Doucey’s executive order does nothing to stop evictions, and only delays their enforcement at the discretion of the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office.

Unfortunately, evictions have been taking place throughout Phoenix, and landlords and developers alike are often intimidating their tenants to pay up or get out, leaving families and tenants of all backgrounds in fear of losing their home.

If you are unable to pay rent this month or at risk of eviction, you are not alone.

In an effort to help tenants organize against predatory landlords, the Phoenix Tenants Union has compiled the following steps:

Step 1: Join the Phoenix Tenant Union: Like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, and Twitter. We are not collecting dues at the moment, and as long as you are connected with us through social media, you are a member. We win when we are many.

Step 2: Send the Southern AZ National Lawyers Guild letter of nonpayment to your landlord. It’s available at https://bit.ly/phxtulandlordletter. Make sure to cc [email protected] and copy your Phoenix City Council Member as well to keep them notified of your situation. We also encourage your send the letter to your landlord via certified mail.

Step 3: Tell your neighbors about the Phoenix Tenants Union, and invite them to join. Spread the word about our movement. We are stronger together.

Lastly, we need to send questions to the Phoenix City Council and participate in council meetings until we see a true response based on the HUD message. Tenants deserve to receive relief from an intolerable situation that places them in another risk to their health: homelessness.

We did not ask to stay at home and lose our jobs. We did our civic duty to help flatten the curve, and it is up to the City to follow suit and indemnify tenants against a wave of wrongful evictions.

In solidarity with all tenants in Phoenix and beyond,

Phoenix Tenants Union