How to find concealed eviction records

Question

Hello everyone,

I recently evicted a tenant and had to concede to the demand to conceal this eviction record during the negotiation. It's not fair for his future landlords not to know about this terrible tenant. Anyhow this makes me afraid of accepting someone who got their eviction record concealed. I've heard that in California, the eviction record is automatically concealed for 30 days (yuck!). I wonder how long it's concealed in Illinois.

How to find the prospect concealed eviction records in Cook county? Does physically going to downtown reveal more info than the Cook County Circuit court website?

Thanks,

Patrick

Kevin Sobilo · Answer

@Patrick Pan, if I was operating in a state where that was a concern I would just contact their current landlord for a reference.

You should ask for that info on their application. You may be able to confirm their most recent address through some online resources like whitepages.com or on their credit report and then look up the owner.

If you get a good reference from their current landlord they likely are not getting evicted. If they try to hide who their current landlord is or lie about it, you can simply deny them based on that.

David Tipton · Answer

"I've heard that in California, the eviction record is automatically concealed for 30 days (yuck!)"

It's actually 60 days, win or lose.  If the tenant prevails, the record is sealed permanently.

Karen F. · Answer

Our online court records in CT are now automatically dropping tenants' evictions fro the record after 3 yrs, or even less.  It sucks for us LLs, because if the tenant is poor, LL won't go to small claims to get award, too, and then there's eventually no record.

Karen F. · Answer

What we really need is a single internet "bad tenant" list to warn each other.

Kevin Sobilo · Answer

How is this a con artist? I mean the person whose name its in likely did that themselves! If not, then these people will be arrested when it comes to light.

Whose name the bill is in doesn't affect the landlord. So, why would you think you are "up against" anything?!?

Ruth Bayang · Answer

Wow. I've never heard of that till now!That would give me pause before buying rentals in CA or IL.

I will be following this with great interest.

Heidi Pliam · Answer

@Patrick Pan not all states take such measures, and you can ask a reputable tenant screening company in your area how that works.  In Minneapolis the tenant has to take the initiative to make an eviction disappear, and it's not always easy.  The law here says eviction is a public interest issue (of course it is!!!) So even if the landlord approves an expungement (deletion), the judge is not supposed to delete it unless the eviction was not legitimate at the time it was filed.  So when I'm reviewing screening reports for my rentals, I like to find out the story behind an eviction - I've had good tenants with evictions on their records who never bothered to expunge their eviction from the record when they had a prior vindictive landlord (yes, such landlords do exist and give the rest of us a bad name).

Good Luck!Heidi

Elisabeth Lernhardt · Answer

yes they are definitively con artists! I was probably a family member, who doesn't need a good credit score. My concern is the state of Nevada supports the con artists by sealing their records. One of the utilities, South West Gas, based in CA, gave me a hard time putting the account into my own name. after several calls, faxing the court-stamped eviction order, verifying my deed through the County, etc,  the operator finally agreed and started to backdate the account change to the beginning of the process! When I protested, she had to refer me to her supervisor. Who had no problem with my request to use the actual date.

Elisabeth Lernhardt · Answer

Today I found out, that some of the utilities were not in the tenants name! Then they didn't pay them and the  bad credit goes to someone else!  Could be their parents or other family  members. We are up against con artists!

Max Traveler · Answer

The biggest factor is thoroughly review their credit score report especially on time payment record and score. People who makes payment on time and every time understand the importance of building a strong credit profile.

How to find concealed eviction records

Most Popular Reply