News Summary
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes has initiated action against The Elton Apartment Homes and Diamond Asset Management LLC due to severe air conditioning failures that have resulted in a tragic death and hospitalization. Residents reported temperatures reaching alarming levels, leading to health concerns. The AG’s office is demanding urgent repairs to the cooling system and reviewing the incidents that transpired. Many tenants remain skeptical about management’s ability to effectively address such critical issues, especially given the dangerous living conditions experienced.
Phoenix – Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes has taken action against The Elton Apartment Homes and Diamond Asset Management LLC following a series of air conditioning failures that have led to a tragic death and hospitalization. The apartment complex, located near 24th Street and Thomas Road in Phoenix, experienced significant air conditioning malfunctions starting July 5, 2023. By July 10, nearly all units were reported to be without functional air conditioning.
Residents indicated that while some were provided with portable air conditioning units, these devices failed to adequately cool their apartments, resulting in temperatures remaining uncomfortably high between 83-87 degrees Fahrenheit. Disturbingly, the complications that arose from the heat led to the death of a 66-year-old male resident, whose passing is currently under investigation. Additionally, a pregnant woman was hospitalized after her apartment reached a dangerous 97 degrees over the weekend.
In a letter dated July 16, the apartment complex offered accommodations to residents, which came more than 11 days after the initial air conditioning failures were first reported. Attorney General Mayes characterized the living conditions within The Elton Apartment Homes as “gravely dangerous” and declared them unacceptable, particularly given the extreme summer heat experienced in Arizona.
The Attorney General’s office has issued a demand, requiring The Elton Apartment Homes to repair the air conditioning system in all affected units and provide written confirmation of compliance by Friday at 5 PM. Under Arizona law, landlords are mandated to keep functioning cooling systems in their rental units, and local Phoenix regulations dictate that air conditioning in habitable rooms must not exceed 82 degrees.
The AG’s office has announced that it is currently reviewing the events that led to the resident’s death and hospitalization. There is a possibility of legal action against the property management if significant lapses in responsibilities are found. Reports from tenants indicate that temperatures inside their apartments have reached as high as 101 degrees, raising serious health concerns among residents.
Tenants have also expressed frustrations regarding the management’s history with handling air conditioning outages. Many residents recalled a similar incident occurring the previous year, which has led to distrust in the management’s ability to rectify the situation effectively. One resident reported that their son had to stay with relatives due to unsafe living conditions caused by the extreme heat.
In response to resident concerns, Attorney General Mayes has encouraged tenants to report any deficiencies in their air conditioning systems directly to the AG’s office. He emphasized the importance of tenant protections during such critical situations, ensuring their health and safety is prioritized.
As of July 18, the Attorney General’s office confirmed that air conditioning had been restored to most of the affected units at The Elton Apartment Homes. However, many residents remain skeptical about future reliability and express ongoing concerns regarding the management’s responsiveness to such urgent issues. The shocking circumstances surrounding the air conditioning failures in Phoenix have drawn widespread attention, with many emphasizing the severe health risks posed by inadequate cooling systems during extreme heat events in Arizona.
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Arizona Attorney General Files Lawsuit Against Apartment Complex for Heat Neglect
Additional Resources
- AZ Central: Attorney General Issues Letter on AC Issues
- ABC15: Man Dead After AC Outage at Phoenix Apartment
- KTAR: Attorney General’s Letter on Fixing AC
- FOX10: Residents Report AC Issues at Elton Apartments
- Google Search: Air Conditioning in Phoenix
