Deceased People Rent Oregon Properties

Submitted by Ben Cameron on Wed, 04/16/2008 - 5:23pm.

I am the assistant manager of a complex in Tigard Oregon. We have just received two applications back from our screening company that the social security numbers given come back to deceased 29 yr olds, both of the men are in early 40's or late 30's. They have been approved and will be renting an apartment! If there is NO legal obligation to verify the identity of the prospective renter, how can any complex guarantee the safety of the other tenants and the community as a whole? The second question is: If Identity Theft is the fastest growing crime in the US, are we going to allow people who are stealing identities to rent properties while rejecting known American citizens because of past crimes? I have been informed that identity verification is NOT a legal requirement, and landlords and management companies are under NO obligation to report known stolen identification. The practice as it stands is to "plug in" the given social security number and if that passes then the individual is given the keys to the property. This is my first encounter where you are under no obligation to report a crime and even worse we are actually providing sanctuary for the criminals.

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( topics: General Media )

Just a wild guess

Submitted by Anonymous Source (not verified) on Wed, 04/16/2008 - 5:35pm.

but they are probably illegal aliens don't you think? If not, just common criminals. Seems like breaking a law to get an apartment should be enough to keep someone from getting an apartment.

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IDENTITY THEFT BY PROSPECTIVE RENTERS

Submitted by Anonymous Source (not verified) on Tue, 04/22/2008 - 3:32pm.

Isn't there a clause in the rental agreement that says if serious mis=statements are made in it to obtain housing, are grounds for denial or eviction (if discovered after renting), since the applicants were dishonest or fraudulent?
Is it legal to request prospective tenants (after 1st round of elimintations) to pass a successful clearance from the police based on their fingerprints before getting the keys?
Can the rental agreement be written that the first 90 days of occupancy are on temporary approval, like a probationary status at a job?

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Identity theft

Submitted by Ben Cameron on Wed, 04/23/2008 - 8:07am.

The problem lies not in their misrepresenting themselves on the application. The real problem is the Property Management Companies overlooking the discovered misinformation and choosing to rent to them anyway. We know these two individuals have Social Security numbers belonging to people who have been reported deceased. The company we work for has decided to rent to them anyway, disregarding the safety of the tenants who have rightfully passed the required background check.

All of these resources are available to all landlords and screening companies. There is a financial motive to NOT use them. The landlords are deliberately ignoring all safety and crime related issues to keep the properties rented. They have the right to refuse haven for these un convicted felons, but they simply take the money for themselves with no regard for the other tenants. What you have missed is that all of our applicant information goes through a screening company, we are informed before the rental agreement is signed that the felony has taken place and the identity belongs to, in our case, two dead men. Everyone wants immigration reform, no one wants to pay the price. The very worst of it is, that Americans who have committed a felony and paid their price are being denied for seven full years! I believe the difference could be made up by developing a system to rehab known personalities. In fact refusing housing to these individuals greatly increases the desire to recommit. By Oregon law once someone stays in a property for thirty days they are legal tenants and can only be removed through court action, something else that needs to change especially for in residence occupancy. Let someone stay in your house too long and the court will order you to NOT remove them! All of our property laws need some serious rethinking.

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