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Archive for August, 2009

Conducting Criminal Background Checks : Free Searches vs. Paying for a Service

August 29th, 2009

The federal constitution provides a constitutional guarantee for United States citizens to access certain information in criminal records. Because specific state legislation is required for the implementation of that constitutional right, there is not a nationwide database available to the public even in our technologically sophisticated society.

Finding information is still possible if you are willing to search multiple places. First and foremost, verify the person’s identity before beginning a search. In order to locate those incarcerated in a federal prison, you can search the database at the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ website. Sex offenders released from prison are tracked on Family Watch Dog’s website. A more intensive search may include searching separate databases of state correctional facilities, police records, and court records.

It is quite possible you may require additional information in your search such as a person’s date of birth and social security number. Searches conducted for employment require the applicant be notified that a criminal background check is being conducted and also give the applicant access to the public information they gathered.

Criminal background searches conducted on your own for free through online searches may prove to be very time consuming and frustrating. However, you may feel that the free public information services are adequate for your needs especially if it satisfies your curiosity or failure to find complete data would not threaten your business, yourself or your family.

On the other hand, if your business, you or your family could be potentially threatened by hiring a particular individual and finding accurate reliable information is imperative, you may not have the time to wade through the massive amount of information available for free online.

It is also very important to realize that free services available online may not have the latest information available to you. The free services will not have analysts or customer service persons to help you with your queries.

There are fee-based on-line criminal background record search companies. The quality of a company’s database and the extent of the detail of the research you want will drive the fee. There are state and nationwide searches available. A typical annual nationwide search fee averages $40.

You should review why you want to conduct a criminal records search. Are you just curious? Are you hiring someone that will handle money? Are you hiring someone that will work with children? Are you bringing on a tenant? Determine the consequences of inaccurate information. Decide whether it is worth the time, effort and risk of not discovering accurate information through a free search. And, ultimately decide if you should pay for a qualified search.

Shawn Background Checks ,

Tenant Background Check – Avoiding Bad Tenants

August 26th, 2009

Many people own real estate these days as a type of investment. During these bad economic times, many people are choosing to rent out their properties instead of flipping them for a quick profit. As a landlord it’s important to conduct a tenant background check on any prospective renters to ensure that your property remains in good condition and no deadbeats or troublemakers come along to cause you problems in the future.

Signing a long-term lease agreement with the wrong individual can cause problems down the road that could have been avoided if a little due diligence had been taken. Having good tenants means less headaches and money in your pocket on a regular basis with almost no worries about how they are treating your property.

The tenant background check can reveal quite a lot about a person. For instance, most good background checks will include any past convictions, bankruptcies, employment history, where they might have lived in the past, and possibly other details that may help you make a more informed decision about who you want to rent to and who you might want to avoid.

You’ll find that most people will not cause problems. Most people will take pride in where they live and will take care of your place just like it was their own. But on occasion you will run into a potentially problematic tenant that you know will be nothing but problems from the beginning just by reading the background information you have on them.

Any person that plans to become a landlord should perform a tenant background check to avoid any future liabilities. It will cost a small fee to get a decent background check off the Internet but you can find out in just a few minutes whether you have a dud or a stud for a prospective tenant. Also, the cost of the background check can be included as part of the application fee and will actually cost you nothing out of pocket.

Shawn Background Checks , , , , , ,