Citing a pattern of neglect and deception, the state has filed a lawsuit against owners of three Tucson apartment complexes.
The lawsuit alleges the apartments are not properly maintained and fail to provide required standards for air conditioning.
Sienna Ridge, 5353 E. 22nd St., is one of three apartment complexes whose owners are being sued by the state of Arizona.
The complexes are Sedona Springs, 373 N. Wilmot Road, Sienna Ridge, 5353 E. 22nd St. and Summit Ridge, 1252 S. Craycroft Road.
Combined, the three apartment complexes have more than 1,000 units.
The lawsuit claims temperatures in some of the units this summer have exceeded 90 degrees, with the temperature in one unit measuring 98.9 degrees.
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Many tenants have been without air conditioning and were supplied with a window unit that failed to cool more than one room in the unit, the lawsuit says.
The owners, members and managers of the properties named in the lawsuit are Sedona Springs AZ, Sienna Ridge AZ, Summit Ridge AZ, DMR Sedona Springs AZ, DMR Tucson 1166, Tucson 1166 IG, Dasmen Residential and Luxford Living.
The defendants, based in Delaware, did not immediately respond to social media messages or emails from the Star.
The group of investors bought all three Tucson properties in 2017 for $35.8 million, records show.
Mayes
In the lawsuit, which was filed in Maricopa County, Attorney General Kris Mayes said the properties have been neglected since the new owners took over and the complexes have progressively deteriorated over the years.
“The consequences of this willful abandonment are manifold,” the lawsuit says.
Allegations include chronic and frequent air conditioning outages; a routine lack of hot water; derelict plumbing, frequent leaks, mold and pest infestations.
"The ongoing neglect Dasmen Residential and Luxford Living continue to display by failing to supply adequate air conditioning to residents at Sedona Springs, Sienna Ridge, and Summit Ridge puts residents' lives at serious risk, especially during extreme summer heat,” Mayes said.
The complaint and application for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction says the problems date back to 2023.
Mayes is seeking an injunction barring the defendants from renting in Arizona until the units meet legal requirements.
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