Eviction Reports

Eviction reports represent another valuable resource that property owners should avail themselves of. Landlord/tenant court filings are maintained at local and county levels of government. A number of information brokers compile eviction records, and offer county, state and nationwide searches to their clients. However, since these vendors gather tenant information for resale without set industry standards in place, the reliability of eviction reports varies greatly. Some companies update eviction data daily, while others do so weekly, monthly, or yearly. Consequently, whenever possible, if your subject has lived only locally, due diligence should result in a personal visit to the court clerk's office.

Typical eviction reports contain pedigree information about the defendant in the action, including his or her name, date of birth and residence. In addition, the judgment amount and name of the plaintiff is a matter of public record. Oftentimes, this will allow you to contact the prior landlord to learn more about your prospective tenant. Eviction reports also include non-monetary judgments that will not show up in a tenant credit report. An added benefit is that they are available long after the seven year period a judgment is accessible vis-a-vis a credit inquiry. Although docketed by filing date and case number, a subject's name is necessary to conduct a search. Make sure your prospective tenant is not using any aliases or different name variations before beginning. Also, verify previous residence addresses and the subject's social security number for comparison purposes. This will prevent an eviction report from being inadvertently overlooked.