From earlier today. The names have been changed to conceal the guilty.

"Hello, Mrs. Smith. This is jiml8 calling to do a residence verification of Jane Jones who lives at your property at 123 W. Mystreet."

"Yes?"

"Are you the owner of the property?"

"Yes, I am."

"Could you tell me how long Ms. Jones has lived there?"

"Oh, about three years."

"Is she on a lease?"

"No, month to month."

"Has she given notice that she is moving?"

"Yes, she has."

"Could you tell me what her rent is, please?"

"$400 per month."

"Does she have any pets?"

"No"

"Has she taken care of the property? Do you have any complaints?"

"She is a good tenant."

"Have you ever issued her an eviction notice? "

"No"

"Would you rent to her again?"

"Oh, my yes."

"Thank you for you time, Mrs. Smith. I just have one more question. Would that be OK?"

"Sure"

"Well, ma'am, according to our records, the house at 123 W. Mystreet is owned by John Doe. Right before I called you, I spoke with Mr. Doe, and he confirmed that he is the owner and he doesn't know who you are. Also, upon checking our records, I see that you have been evicted by Mr. Wilson and by Mr. Smythe at different times from two different properties. Would you care to comment on this?"

CLICK.

I guess she didn't want to comment. Be careful out there.

About the Author: Jim Locker is a technical guy who has done a lot of real estate investing and landlording. The experiences he writes about and advice he gives are either first hand, or in answer to specific questions posed by others. He is commonly known as jiml8 around the internet.