We study properties of resonant solutions to the scalar wave equation in several axially symmetric spacetimes. We prove that nonaxial resonant modes do not exist neither in the Lanczos dust cylinder, the extreme (2 + 1) dimensional Bañados-Taitelboim-Zanelli (BTZ) spacetime nor in a class of simple rotating wormhole solutions. Moreover, we find unstable solutions to the wave equation in the Lanczos dust cylinder and in the r2 < 0 region of the extreme (2 + 1) dimensional BTZ spacetime, two solutions that possess closed timelike curves. Similarities with previous results obtained for the Kerr spacetime are explored.