County Website (Plum: bank owned, for sale, foreclosure) - Pittsburgh - Pennsylvania (PA) - Page 2 - City-Data Forum

Seaharbour · 12-01-2007, 05:21 AM

I always disliked the last name search in the assessments, and yes its about time and the other info, def food for thought!

pghquest · 12-01-2007, 06:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seaharbour

I always disliked the last name search in the assessments, and yes its about time and the other info, def food for thought!

There were some very valid reasons to have a name search, which included the ability to search for bank repo's, tax forclosures, renters could verify ownership of properties to cut down fraud before signing leases, I've used it to decide if I should do business with some individuals, because I could verify their "honesty" etc.

Now someone either needs to know how to research in other ways, or have to now pay someone else who does.

All of this information is free to the public, now one can make an argument that it shouldnt be open to public consumption, but as long as one is able to simply walk into a building downtown and plug in your name getting the info, making it harder for people to find it makes no sense because any Wack job knows how to get downtown.

Seaharbour · 12-01-2007, 06:50 AM

There are people whom have lived with violent family members and others who are trying to keep a low profile so that they can remain alive...believe me its more common than one thinks here...whom can be hunted down and harrassed or worse...and i can see someone who works in that dept needing that info but for most of us, its really none of our business who owns what home and how much it was paid for and etc...some people I have known, spend all day long investigating people and what they own and etc..who are rather whacked in the head...so yea i PERSONALLY feel its best left out of the generals public knowledge.

Seaharbour · 12-01-2007, 06:54 AM

However in the case of a renter wanting to know who owns what and if they are on the up and up...yea i can see what you mean there, I understand and may even be in that same postion soon here..if we rent. But you can also find out who they are, and ask around town bout their reputation too?

Seaharbour · 12-01-2007, 06:57 AM

Also many nutjobs do this cause its right at their fingertips, they can stay home, and do it for free with just a few keyboard hits, most would not go to the trouble of going downtown to do their work, most are too lazy to do that...but if its there and your bored, and your mentally unstable.......who knows here? and there were cases where people were harassed too as it was mentioned here...

pghquest · 12-01-2007, 07:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seaharbour

There are people whom have lived with violent family members and others who are trying to keep a low profile so that they can remain alive...believe me its more common than one thinks here...whom can be hunted down and harrassed or worse...and i can see someone who works in that dept needing that info but for most of us, its really none of our business who owns what home and how much it was paid for and etc...some people I have known, spend all day long investigating people and what they own and etc..who are rather whacked in the head...so yea i PERSONALLY feel its best left out of the generals public knowledge.

Very valid concern, as I stated above.. perhapse this information should not be public but as long as it is removing a name search does nothing.

1) Perhapse then that all of the criminal histories of individuals should not be public, after all they paid their debt.
2) In NY, driving records are public.
3) Pedophiles are not only public information, but huge websites are built, disclosing where these people live in the name of "public safety".
4) PA maintains records where one can search prisoners, pull up their photos, their dates of convictions, their charges, dates they will be released.

Explain to me why someone's jaywalking record should be an open book, but their ownership of assets shouldnt be.

Any individual so wacked out to use this information for harm will get the information one way or another and simply removing a name field does nothing when there is a criminal intent, especially since the information is available by simply walking into a building downtown and doing the same search.

Seaharbour · 12-01-2007, 07:46 AM

Well yes if you had committed a crime, ,yes it should be open record, I go as far as to make some put signs in their yards so i would be ok letting my child walk past their home or not...i mean that too...however I stand by what i said here, its kinda of creepy to know that people can find out where i live, and yes I have a few violent criminal types who if they could, look me up and hurt me....cause of their crimes AGAINST ME! And this takes some fear of it for me personally and I bet many would agree..then again I see where it would benefit the renter...I do see your point here on that here as well.

But like I also said here,,,most will not go downtown to obtain that info but if that same info can be obtained free and in a manner of seconds from the comfort of their own home, then yea that is different imho!

pghquest · 12-01-2007, 08:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seaharbour

Well yes if you had committed a crime, ,yes it should be open record, I go as far as to make some put signs in their yards so i would be ok letting my child walk past their home or not...i mean that too...however I stand by what i said here, its kinda of creepy to know that people can find out where i live, and yes I have a few violent criminal types who if they could, look me up and hurt me....cause of their crimes AGAINST ME! And this takes some fear of it for me personally and I bet many would agree..then again I see where it would benefit the renter...I do see your point here on that here as well.

But like I also said here,,,most will not go downtown to obtain that info but if that same info can be obtained free and in a manner of seconds from the comfort of their own home, then yea that is different imho!

See thats the rationality I dont understand and where I lose understanding in this "privacy" debate.

I agree that I dont want people knowing my assets, otherwise I wouldnt go through all of the trouble I do with land trusts etc, but you cant go and say a valid reason for removing a name search field is to keep some wacko from coming after you, and then state its ok to put up yard signs, so that others become targets to violence.

Personally, all of this information should be private. I dont understand the rationality in not being allowed to lookup someones credit history, but able to see the neighbors driving records, criminal history, civil lawsuit histories, and assets owned (which would dictate some credit history).

This is where these debates get interesting because privacy issues are privacy issues and you cant tell people that you want your information private, but want to know your neighbors life long history out of fear for your own safety. Do they not have a right to have the same concerns to know your history?

Seaharbour · 12-01-2007, 08:05 AM

Yes..I can cause those who Committed crimes deserve that kind of treatment, while the rest of us who obey the rules and laws...deserve our privacy.

Seaharbour · 12-01-2007, 08:07 AM

And if your renting a home from someone, yes you have every right to check them out as they would you, its a two way street here, when you exchanging money and or ownership, both parties have the right to know whom they are doing business with..but that is my opinion and i know that!