Led by chief executive officer William Bower and chief financial officer Sabrina Bower, Contemporary Information Corp is a Duluth, Georgia-based data solutions provider for operators in the rental housing, banking, and insurance spaces. Over the years, Contemporary Information Corp has established a database consisting of more than 30 million housing court records, along with millions of additional records from different sources.
The Contemporary Information Corp team further supports clients with a wide range of rental housing industry information, including insights into the lawful use of eviction public records. Eviction records can help rental property owners review applicants’ consumer reports, but it is critically important that individuals understand what they are looking at. This includes the difference between an eviction notice and an eviction record, as well as the reliability of a specific eviction database.
An eviction notice is not the same as an official eviction public record. Assuming a landlord has adhered to all relevant laws and regulations, they will typically post an eviction notice on a tenant’s door. In this situation, a tenant typically has a period of time during which they can pay off the outstanding balance and remain at the property.
Alternatively, they can vacate the premises within the given time frame. If the tenant chooses either of these options, that effectively ends the eviction process. The situation does not escalate, and none of the tenants involved receive an eviction public record. Meanwhile, the property owner either receives their past due rent or regains access to their space.
When an Eviction Filing Becomes a Public Record
However, some tenants may believe that their landlords have illegally served eviction notices, or otherwise object to eviction proceedings. Whether the tenants are wrong or right, rental property owners must advance eviction proceedings. At this point, a tenant receives an eviction filing on their record, meaning they have gone to court over an eviction notice.
This does not mean a judge sided with the landlord and convicted the renter. Instead, in the event of a conviction, the tenant receives an eviction public record.
Why Database Accuracy Matters for Property Owners
While the differences between an eviction notice, an eviction filing, and an eviction public record may sound straightforward, inferior eviction databases can complicate matters. In this area, specificity is key. For starters, any risk mitigation provider a rental property owner uses should efficiently and accurately match identities to public records, ideally via an algorithm that simultaneously vets the incoming information. For instance, a quality database should check for duplicate records and the absence of personally identifiable information.
When it comes to evictions, subpar risk mitigation providers may confuse eviction filings with eviction public records. In a potentially more damaging scenario for rental property owners, a database may inadvertently provide illegal information. For instance, a database may provide information about an eviction public record. While this is not inherently illegal, state and federal regulations place limitations on the dates of eligible eviction public records, shifting liability onto the property owner for ignoring these reports.
State and Local Rules Can Limit the Use of Eviction Records
The region is also relevant. New York City, for example, bans the use of all eviction records. Property owners found in violation of this standard can face fines of up to $1,000. Many states follow the seven-year rule, which bans the use of eviction records older than seven years.
Fortunately, quality data providers like Contemporary Information Corp offer support such as a Regulatory Matrix, which makes it easier to track public records concerns and adhere to all pertinent regulations.