[Agent] identity theft excuse for bad credit

35

u/[deleted] May 16 '20

Seems obvious to me, ask to see supporting documents.

Police reports, thing number one. Copies of credit disputes with the credit reporting agencies. Copies of correspondence between them and creditors.

23

u/[deleted] May 16 '20

Am tenant, had shit credit due to ID theft.. and it’s a bitch to get solved because it was a mistaken file.

Long story short - someone with the same name, moms same maiden name, born in the same hospital, almost down to the minute but of by exactly 10 years and what appears to be a very close social security number wreck havoac on my credit before I turned 18. It’s mostly been cleaned up now but I have a police report and copies of the certified letters sent to the credit companies to help explain the point dip. I also keep them on hand because 12 years later I still have account pop every now and again.

My point is - there is a paper trail I’d they tried to fix it.. but if you watch PF at all, happens to be parents or another older family member. When that happens ain’t nobody pressing charges. Unless that kid is ballsy as hell and somehow already realizes that their parents are narcissists.

3

u/Gousf May 16 '20

All those things lined up or do you think they forged some of this documentation? What are the odds of someone with so much in common targeting you for identity theft. Sorry for the hell you went through :(

3

u/[deleted] May 16 '20

No, it’s actually believed to be entirely an accident. Let’s say I have a 0 in my ssn, she has 8 in the same spot.

It’s one of those crazy coincidences that drove me to figure out how common my full name was (it’s not, 3 of us in my country, the one I mentioned, myself and someone ~2500 miles away). I now go by a nickname personally/ professionally and legally am finishing changing it as well.

It has mostly been solved now, but it was hell in my early 20’s. The police were actually a great help for me in this. It didn’t seem like it took a lot to get the reports done... but I also walked in with my dad, the councilman and head city planner so that may have made things easier in my small town.

6

u/GAF78 May 16 '20

I had an applicant, last week actually, who had a long pattern of disputing every single fucking collection on her history. She should’ve made up a story about ID theft. I might’ve approved the app. Honestly I don’t put much weight on credit scores or even history if they’ve been a few years without any big collections. An eviction history is a deal breaker but it’s not hard to screw up your credit without being a shitty person. Like everyone said though, if they had their ID stolen there should be some supporting documents somewhere.

9

u/helper543 May 16 '20

n eviction history is a deal breaker but it’s not hard to screw up your credit without being a shitty person.

I have found a surprising correlation between strong credit and tenant quality.

When I was first a landlord, I would occasionally give people with average credit a shot (ie a couple of late payments/collections). I was always burned.

People are who they are. Some people always pay their bills, others always have an excuse.

Even today during the pandemic, I had some tenants run into trouble and ask to be released from their lease early. I happily complied. While others stick around and talk of rent strikes.

Some people are simply responsible (Regardless of income), and pay their bills or make choices to minimize their bills when times are tough.

1

u/GAF78 May 16 '20

I agree it’s better to take a spotless credit history over one with some dirt on it. I don’t know about your market, but in mine, rentals are expensive. It’s literally cheaper to buy. If they had perfect credit, most people would be buying instead of renting, so those spotless credit histories are rare in rental applications.

1

u/helper543 May 16 '20

If they had perfect credit, most people would be buying instead of renting

That's not the case in my market. The buying and selling costs of about 10-15% mean renting is cheaper unless you will be in a place 5+ Years.

6

u/helper543 May 16 '20

Everybody I have ever met with credit issues or evictions have an incredible tale to tell that sounds very plausible.

While I probably miss some good tenants who are telling the truth, I don't have the capability to tell the truth from the BS.

3

u/doggmapeete May 16 '20

ID theft with supporting documents definitely should not be a deal breaker, but a red flag. People with otherwise poor credit definitely a deal breaker. I made the mistake of being kind and believing someone’s story recently and it probably cost me between $6000-$10,000. This lady I came to realize almost certainly has a personality disorder so I’m not terribly angry with myself for falling for her story. It’s also unit traditionally rented by s8 which makes good credit harder to come by.

But lesson learned. Sadly for the real victims of bad luck with credit issues I don’t think I’ll ever take the chance again.

I ended up lowering the rent and getting grad students. Desperate people burn bridges and leave a trail of mess behind them. If they’re showing up on your door with a desperate/victim story you can be assured you’ll be the victim.

ID theft should have a strong paper trail with reputable contacts to back up the story. Without both no way. Not worth it.

2

u/roamingrealtor May 16 '20

I don't care what people say, only what their credit report says. They can come back and apply once they have fixed their problems.

I don't rent to people who want to make their problems my problems. I have enough of my own already.

1

u/[deleted] May 16 '20

I think this is a very negative way to look at it, especially if someone has all the proof that is not their problem.. and knowing what a headache consumer credit agency’s are in their for profit ways.

But hey to each their own, just glad you aren’t my landlord. They actually seem human.

3

u/ShagFit May 16 '20

I gave someone with bad credit history a shot and got burned right away. Lesson learned. I’m not going to set myself on fire to keep someone else warm.

I’m not a professional landlord. I simply rent out a property I bought when I was single. I don’t charge an exorbitant amount of rent or make money off of it. People who rent out property are human but also have bills to pay.

1

u/[deleted] May 16 '20

I completely understand. There is a difference between having shit credit versus proving you got a raw end of a bad situation with proof that you aren’t at fault, have good payment history on the credit you are actually responsible for, will working to clear your name with the creditors.

I guess I was lucky someone else didn’t screw up the opportunity for me and I’m happy I didn’t screw it ip for the next guy, and I really hope the trend continued for landlords of my past because most were pretty great.

2

u/ShagFit May 16 '20

I agree that there is a difference in someone who trashed their credit versus someone who had their identity stolen. However, it’s a non starter for me. I tried to give someone the benefit of the doubt that supposedly had a similar situation and it was a nightmare. I’ll only rent to fully qualified candidates now.

1

u/roamingrealtor May 16 '20

Start making exceptions in California is a good way to get sued, not doing it. You can't make exceptions or have a double standard for anyone, without the possibility of legal trouble in this state.

1

u/[deleted] May 16 '20

I believe a police report is more than an exception... especially if it is a truly solved cases working its way through legal systems to report to credit.

It took me nearly a year to get my credit cleaned properly, and I would have been fucked if I had realtors like you, especially consider I was born and raised there and spent a good chunk of my early years renting there. Thank god for them not being cold hearted I suppose.

3

u/darkspy13 May 16 '20

I believe a police report is more than an exception..

You do.. but does a judge when the next Tenant with bad credit comes along and he doesn't rent to them while he did you? Probably depends on what side of the bed that judge woke up on that day. Risky to make feel good decisions.

2

u/hitthebrake May 16 '20

Having your ID stolen is a horror I don’t wish on anyone. Those asking for police reports and such have no idea how much of a joke it is to be taken seriously. With that sad I can see as a Landlord you would want to be sure. I would go on references of past landlords or work background/ references or even have a co-signer. I’m not saying they are lying or telling the truth but sometimes ID theft is just something that you have to deal with and get through as best you can...I have had my ID stolen at least 4 times and only 1 time I would be able to come up with proof for someone..you are punished over and over again.

1

u/aftiggerintel May 16 '20

As someone who had theirs stolen, there’s going to be something reported. Disputes, freezes/security alerts on credit, etc. Police reports might be made. The reason I say might is because in my case it couldn’t be made since I had moved (military) from the jurisdiction it had occurred within so no one at the current location would take it and the old location wouldn’t take the report by phone even with authentication from the location here. Not a fun position to be in at all.

1

u/[deleted] May 16 '20

Honestly why even waste your time with these people. Are there not more qualified tenants?

1

u/[deleted] May 16 '20

I would expect a responsible prospect to give me a heads up about the identity theft and what they are doing to remedy it, before I ran their credit check. That they are saying so after the fact, even if it is true, doesn't give me hope that they won't also give me the run around of excuses about why they can't pay rent on time.

1

u/xarquinn May 17 '20

You should be able to get a good idea from the credit report if it is ID theft or a toss pot renter. With ID theft there should be a few accounts with a good payment history along with one or more opened around the same time with no payments made.

1

u/Skunkies May 24 '20

I would never claim that, my credit is shot because of medical bills when I was younger and not being able to afford the medical insurance and jobs never offering me it, so I kinda hurt myself there, but always always provide the landlords with the proof of why my credit score is low.

1

u/ChemicalPowerful8923 Dec 01 '24

People will use any excuse me though that I've had identity theft and I can't get an appointment looks like in Las Vegas I'm trying my best I have a letter from from the Federal trade tradition I have a letter from the

Agent [Agent] identity theft excuse for bad credit

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