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It means that for whatever reason, they've screwed over their 3 of their recent landlords. That isn't just a mistake, it is a pattern.
The credit report should show whether the bills have been paid off. Almost every one I've ever seen has a "high balance" or "original balance" as well as a "current balance".
But regardless of whether they were paid off or not, if they have made the last 3 landlords get judgments, odds are extremely high they will move out owing you money also.
The only way to find out if it was rent or damages is to ask the landlords (not the tenant, although you could ask them for verification), which you should do anyway if you were considering them, but I would just say no.
If those are judgements owed to landlords, don't bother to ask for an explanation, just reject the application.
If you learned about those judgements from a credit report, you have to mail the applicant a letter stating that the rejection was based upon the credit report and telling them how to get a copy of the report directly from the reporting company. The company you got the credit report from should have a form letter that you can print off and send.
Reject them unless you want to be the next landlord getting a judgement.
Don't ask the tenant to explain. The good ones almost always have fabulous explanations that make them look like innocent victims that did everything correctly.
I had an applicant that had prior evictions,several lawsuits file against him,judgements, auto re-posessions, bankruptcy. He tried to explain away every one if them, like they were all someone else's fault. I turned him down, even though he had an excellent income and a great job.
I googled him a couple years later and saw a foreclosure was added to the list. I bet he had a good excuse for that as well.
Reject them unless you want to be the next landlord getting a judgement.
Don't ask the tenant to explain. The good ones almost always have fabulous explanations that make them look like innocent victims that did everything correctly.
I had an applicant that had prior evictions,several lawsuits file against him,judgements, auto re-posessions, bankruptcy. He tried to explain away every one if them, like they were all someone else's fault. I turned him down, even though he had an excellent income and a great job.
I googled him a couple years later and saw a foreclosure was added to the list. I bet he had a good excuse for that as well.
Nearly everyone who has a landlord collection or an eviction will explain how it was someone else's fault. Very rarely have I ever had someone say "I was young and dumb and screwed up". Perhaps counter-intuitively, I would be much more likely to take someone who owned their mistake and say "yep, my bad", than someone who had an excuse for everything.
Looking at a tenant with 3 judgments against them...
How many judgments have you (or 98% of people you know) had?
Getting HALFWAY to the point in the LL:Tenant misunderstanding
and/or unpaid rent and/or damages process where a judgment would be issued is the concern.
Looking at a tenant with 3 judgments against them; one from 2010, one from 2011, and one from 2013.
Each one is for about $650.
I'm new to the landlord scene.
Do these judgments mean that they CURRENTLY owe that money to the previous landlord
Could they have paid it off at some point, but the records don't reflect that they are paid off?
These are all from previous apartment complexes; typically does this mean they skipped out on rent or does this imply some sort of property damage?
I will certainly ask this prospective tenant to explain, but would like to hear from some folks on this side of the counter first.
Unless you wanna be lucky LL number four I would deny. Sorry but for me judgements are automatic denial.
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