Jodee Fernandez purchased her mobile home in late 2014.
But two-and-a-half years later, the 61-year-old Mesa retiree still can’t prove that she actually owns it.
Why?
The mobile home park that sold it to Fernandez has never given her the title.
She’s certainly tried to get it.
“I’ve begged for the title, literally begged,” Fernandez said. “Everything I had went into this home. It wasn’t a lot. But it was all I have.”
Experts said it’s illegal to sell a mobile home without a title. Without one, the residents have no legal proof that they actually own their home.
Fernandez bought her mobile home part from Sunset Resort Mobile Home and RV Park, a 55-plus community sitting on a county island in east Mesa.
She’s far from the only resident experiencing problems.
ABC15 has learned there are many residents – possibly dozens or more -- who never received their title or have other problems with documentation.
Rob Eckert, a private investigator hired by Fernandez, said he’s spoken to about 10 residents with similar issues. It’s a problem that’s persisted at Sunset for years, he said.
“(One resident) purchases his mobile home six years ago and still doesn’t have a title,” Eckert said.
Eckert is a former supervising special agent with the Arizona Attorney General’s Office. He said this situation needs an official law enforcement investigation and has turned it over to his former office for review.
Several residents told ABC15 they are willing to aid in the case, including Susan Laursen.
Laursen, who purchased her home in March, said she’s repeatedly asked for her title. By her estimate, at least 20 times.
“I was in the mortgage business for a long time,” she said. “(Sunset Resort) doesn’t play right. They don’t do things legally.”
Residents said Sunset management repeatedly offers up nonsensical explanations about why they don’t have the titles.
Eckert also tried confronting Sunset Resort on behalf of Fernandez. Management told him they would have her title in four weeks.
After the four-week wait, ABC15 went with Eckert and Fernandez to the Sunset Resort Office to pick up the title.
Not surprisingly, it wasn’t there.
A manager and employees present at the office refused to answer a reporter’s questions.
“Somebody needs to come shut this place down,” Fernandez said.
Contact ABC15 Investigator Dave Biscobing at dbiscobing@abc15.com.
