Is there a lawyer in the house?

[Anodizer]

You're pretty much screwed bro..  I know a lot of people in your situation(thankfully not me), and they have a hard time with everything from finding a place to live to getting a job.. 
About your only hope is to get your record expunged..  It'll cost you, though..
You could move to another state....?  I know people who've been convicted of felonies that don't come up on background checks in other states..  In a few states, background checks for employment or when trying to find residence are only legally allowed to go back 10 years..  I dunno dude, gonna have to talk to a real attorney and see what they can do for you..  Either way, it's probably going to cost you..  You could try to find a house for rent..  Sometimes those people want nothing more than rental references and job references..  As long as you have a good record of paying, they don't care what you do..  Good luck, bro!

[pembquist]

Looking for ideas. 

So far I've filed complaints with the FTC.  I plan to start bugging my state representative at his office this week.

This is what The fourth estate is for.  I'm sure you are not alone. Go to propublica.org Under contact us there is a link to story ideas. Try to get it into the press, this is a pressure point/incentive for politicians.

Some people don't seem to get what this is about. Depending on what state you live in you might have some luck with the AG's office or something like an office of consumer affairs. Unfortunately budgets have been cut.

It sounds like you need 2 different things: 1 some way of countering the false information immediately when you know a background check will come up with false information, 2 something to force the .com to give the correct information.

To me it sounds a little like the makings of a class action lawsuit. But I'm not a lawyer and I don't really know.

Good luck and remember its just BS not cancer.

[ToeTag]

Incorrect info cannot be published about anyone. There are many laws in place to protect anyone from deformation of character. However....good luck finding anyone who cares enough to fix your problem. Be weary of Lawyers that jump on the case for a fee and listen to the ones that give you both sides of the argument. Further more quit doing things that you'll regret later whether your convicted or not.  It's why I quit hanging out with "old friends".

[Shamus]

Unfortunately Midway, background checks aren't supposed to bring up charges that didn't result in a conviction.  And they definitely aren't supposed to lie and say conviction when there wasn't one.  If you want to nit pick and make assumptions based on simply being arrested, the felony in question is 'failure to affix a marijuana tax stamp'.  How ridiculous is the charge in the first place?

I've never had a problem with a real background check done for professionals by professionals, just these stupid cut rate internet background checks marketed towards the general public (who seems to a be a lot more interested in gossip and and assumption than a court's decision).

Again guilty after proven innocent.

You are confusing background, criminal histories and criminal conviction checks. It sounds like they are running criminal history checks on you those include arrest, charge and conviction information. If you have erroneous convictions showing up then you have to write or go to the jurisdictions that filed the incorrect information and get certified corrections. Build a file and keep it for future use. The background companies are only reporting what is available from law enforcement/courts. They are just reporting docket information, not going through the court files like a professional background investigator would do, but hey its cheap 

shamus     

[Jayhawk]

I think even if you prove that you weren't convicted of those various crimes, the landlords still are well within their right to deny you housing for that.

[Chalenge]

Did you have a probation officer before? If so call them with the problem.
Contact your motor vehicle division if there is any false information there.
Get your credit report. If one bureau reports bad credit it could be they all do. You can dispute these online.

[Rob52240]

It's just convictions that they're concerned with.  Legally here you can't use an arrest against someone when it comes to employment or business. 

When I get the morons to admit they're wrong everything is OK because there are no convictions to report.  The background checks just give a yes or no answer to those who pay for them. 

It's a lot like if you take a urine test for drugs.  It's either pass or fail.  You're allowed by federal law to have up to 50ppm of thc metabolites in your sample to pass.  If you have 49ppm you still pass and there is no mention of it on the paperwork.

[Belial]

Rob you sound like a dirt ball lol


You make it sound like you've been arrested 15 times and only convicted twice.

Maybe you should move into some place where other criminals like yourself live.

[Midway]

Rob you sound like a dirt ball lol


You make it sound like you've been arrested 15 times and only convicted twice.

Maybe you should move into some place where other criminals like yourself live.

 

He's actually really nice!    MajorTom

[warhed]

What kind of world do we live in when someone with 2 convictions and a dozen arrests has trouble clearing a background check?? 

[Shamus]

What state do you live in where a business is forced to do business with you if they have issues with arrest records?

shamus     

[Rob52240]

No shamus, they're saying I was convicted of everything I've ever not been convicted of.  It would be like if you beat a speeding ticket in court, but then still had to pay a higher insurance premium just because you were accused.

A business has a right here to refuse to do business with anyone, however there are exceptions.  One is employment, another is housing.

What ever happened to innocent until proven guilty?  Perhaps those who prefer guilty after proven innocent would prefer to live in communist China or a country with a similar judicial track record.

So I'm a dirtball in at least one guy's opinion.  I'd like him to ask himself this question.  Is your behavior dictated by whats right and wrong, or a simple fear of punishment?
I must say that my prosecutors have been far more polite and good natured towards me.

When a charge is dismissed, the state is admitting that they can't convict so there is no point in trying.

All arrests were for posession of marijuana, and failure to affix a state issued marijuana tax stamp.  Keep in mind none of them ever made it to a trial.  
God bless the bill of rights.

My convictions are nothing anyone would care about.  Both happened in college over a decade ago.  Everything else has been dismissed before going to court partly due to no evidence and partly due to the fact that it would just be a cop's word against mine which apparently the prosecutors felt would go in my favor.
Conviction #1 Being in a park after dark
Conviction #2 Public intox
Strangely I was guilty of neither but that's how the legal system works.  If we had a justice system instead I'd never have been arrested in the first place.

[Jayhawk]

The constitution goes both ways, those landlords are free to say, "meh, I don't want you" for whatever reason they want; as long as that reason isn't that you're part of a specific group, people with criminal records, big, small, serious, or ridiculous, are not a protected group.  It sure sounds like you are not a dangerous person, and that there is no reason not to trust you'll your rent; but unfortunately, no one is required to think that way.  Maybe it's not fair you're stuck in this situation, but nonetheless, it's your burden to deal with.  It sounds like you have options, they are just lengthy ones, and you're looking for a quick fix where one may not be possible.

[Rob52240]

The constitution goes both ways, those landlords are free to say, "meh, I don't want you" for whatever reason they want; as long as that reason isn't that you're part of a specific group, people with criminal records, big, small, serious, or ridiculous, are not a protected group.  It sure sounds like you are not a dangerous person, and that there is no reason not to trust you'll your rent; but unfortunately, no one is required to think that way.  Maybe it's not fair you're stuck in this situation, but nonetheless, it's your burden to deal with.  It sounds like you have options, they are just lengthy ones, and you're looking for a quick fix where one may not be possible.

I agree.  This lease ends august 1st and I need find a new place by then as well as be moved out of this one.  There just isn't enough time to wait on mail carriers, clerks of court and pencil pushers who make mistakes.  I had one lined up but ran into this snag.  I believe I can find a new place by then although I'm not confident it will be one I want.  

What I'm looking for in this thread is ways of making it difficult for those who aren't responsible with responsibilities they're hired to carry out to do business here or ways to encourage them to do their job right in the first place.  I know it's a longshot but that's never stopped me before and I'm not going to start letting it deter me now or anytime in the future.

[Chalenge]

You know what? Call your Congressman. Paying a lawyer for gab time is ridiculous.