Special Articles and Features

Liar, Liar

by Henry Dubro and Dori Meinert

Don't be fooled by smooth talkers. Background checks can help you avoid major hiring mistakes.

Fired from one management company for lying about a $32 phone bill, a California community manager was hired almost immediately by a competing firm. The manager ultimately stole more than $100,000 from his new firm's clients—and was sent to jail. Despite his conviction, he was later hired as a general manager for a high-rise development in another part of the country.

"People can sell themselves very well," says Michael Packard, PCAM, CPM, senior vice president for Associa, Inc., who followed the man's career after firing him over the phone bill incident. "The association that hired my former manager did not perform an out-of-state background check, obviously."

Common Ground - November/December 2008 Issue
CAI's Magazine for Community Association Leaders