Finding a new home for your family should be exciting, a chance for more space, more comfort, a fresh start. But for one of our clients, the process turned into panic, embarrassment, and financial strain when Trans Union Rental Screening Solutions (TURSS) reported a criminal history that didn’t exist.
A New Home for the Family Until the Background Report Arrived
Our client applied for a rental home that was perfect for their family’s needs. The landlord required a tenant screening report, something our client wasn’t worried about at all because they had no criminal history.
But the TURSS report told a different story.
It listed three misdemeanor convictions from Pennsylvania:
- simple assault
- terroristic threats
- possession of an instrument of crime
These charges didn’t belong to our client.
They had a different middle name.
They came from a state our client had never lived in or even visited.
Despite these obvious mismatches, TURSS still included the convictions.
One Error, A Completely Upended Life
Because of TURSS’s inaccurate reporting, our client was denied the home they applied for. And while TURSS eventually corrected the report after a dispute, the damage was already done.
By the time the truth came out, the landlord told them the property was no longer available.
That left our client and their family scrambling to find housing, not weeks ahead, not with choices or flexibility, but in crisis mode. Eventually, they found another home, but it was:
- smaller
- more expensive
- not the home they had chosen for their family’s future
Paying more for less isn’t just unfair, it’s life-altering.
The Weight of Being Wrongly Labeled a Criminal
Beyond the financial harm and the lost opportunity, the emotional toll was devastating.
The landlord saw the TURSS report and believed the worst, that our client had a criminal record and had lied on the application.
To be thought of as dishonest… as dangerous… when you’ve never committed a crime, is deeply humiliating.
Even after securing a different home, our client continues to worry:
What if this happens again when TURSS prepares a report?
What if another property owner sees something false and turns me away?
No one should have to fear being misidentified by a company that is supposed to report accurate information.
The Case Resolved, But the Impact Remains
After a dispute, TURSS corrected the report, and this case ultimately ended with a corrected report and a settlement. But no settlement can undo the lost home, the financial stress, or the trauma of being mislabeled a criminal.
If Something Like This Has Happened to You, You’re Not Alone
When a background check contains information that isn’t yours, it can derail your entire life. But you have rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), and you can take action.
Francis Mailman Soumilas, P.C., has helped thousands of people who were denied housing because of inaccurate background check reports.
If you’ve been harmed by a tenant screening error,
Contact us for a free case review, fill out the online form, or call 1-877-735-8600.
Your family’s future should never be jeopardized by someone else’s criminal record or by a company that failed to check the facts.