Strange Potential Employer

[frugalone]

Hi, Folks--I got a call today from an office where I recently applied for a research/writing/editing job. It's for an attorney. I was in that field for many years but I don't know this fellow. I do know he ran the same ad about a year ago so whoever had the job may have left.

Anyways...thought I'd do a little internet sleuthing. And what I came up with is: he's a slumlord who owns over 20 properties that are boarded up, condemned, etc. And there was a fire in one several months ago and two homeless men died. He's also sued the city government because he thinks they are conspiring against him to "take his properties."

Um...red alert here? Should I steer clear of someone like this, entirely?

BTW I cannot find anything about his practice--just this news stuff and s/thing about his realty rental agency, which apparently is fairly sleazy!

[iris lily]

Slum lords are a dime a dozen in my city. I don't know what these jokers think they are gaining by buying non-appreciating property and then holding it without improvement, but that doesn't make them necessarily evil. As far as the homeless men, betcha they broke into the place and started the fire. That's typical here.

Probably the city *IS* conspiring to take his properties through legal means.

If you would be working with the slum properties, you'd be working with slum tenants. Giant PITA. How desperate are you for a job?

[fidgiegirl]

Sounds icky to
Me ... I think your gut may be already telling you the right answer.

Good luck.

[frugalone]

Iris--I'm not sure WHAT kind of work I'd be doing since my google search only revealed his practice of law as "business." My experience has been personal injury, bankruptcy, family law and real estate. Gosh, it didn't occur to me that I might be working with the tenants.

I'm fairly desperate for a job but it seems to me I'd be better off in Big Box World than doing something like this.


Slum lords are a dime a dozen in my city. I don't know what these jokers think they are gaining by buying non-appreciating property and then holding it without improvement, but that doesn't make them necessarily evil. As far as the homeless men, betcha they broke into the place and started the fire. That's typical here.

Probably the city *IS* conspiring to take his properties through legal means.

If you would be working with the slum properties, you'd be working with slum tenants. Giant PITA. How desperate are you for a job?

[frugalone]

Thank you--I am a person who does tend to rely on my gut feelings.


Sounds icky to
Me ... I think your gut may be already telling you the right answer.

Good luck.

[frugalone]

On Martindale.com he is listed as practicing: Federal and State Taxation Law; Estate Planning Law; Business Law; Real Estate Development Law

[herbgeek]

I wouldn't let what you found stop you from talking to him first. You're making assumptions that may or may not be true. If the guy turns out to be a dirtbag after you talk to him, then by all means run away.

[puglogic]

I have a code that I never work with someone who is unethical. If your research shows this person is unethical, you have to decide whether you share this code or not. I would not be interested myself in giving my life energy to such a person, even in exchange for money. But that's just me - desperate times sometimes call for desperate measures. But I'd sure be looking to make them temporary measures :) Good luck.

[redfox]

Meet him in person, suss it out, and pay attention to your body signals!

[Florence]

Meet him in person, suss it out, and pay attention to your body signals!

Exactly. And let us know how it turns out.

[artist]

I'd stay clear of it. JMO

[kitten]

Frugalone, did you ever meet with this guy? What was the upshot?

I once interviewed for a job as an assistant to an attorney. He seemed okay, until he told me: "I just want to warn you, some people say I'm a jerk. How would you feel about working for a jerk?"

I tried not to laugh - appreciated his honesty and took a pass on that one. I wonder if it was some lawyerish bit of cleverness designed to smoke out the wrong kind of applicant. But what kind - sane ones? People who don't want to spend eight hours a day as a human doormat? I mean who would want to work for a self-stated jerk? Gawd there are so many freaks out there.

[frugalone]

I never went. I drove past his "office". It was in an iffy neighborhood, in a half-double house. No lights on, no shingle out front, no signs of life. Very, very suspicious. No wonder he wanted to meet at a coffee shop. I'm glad I didn't go to the interview.

BTW, I went to an interview years ago for a criminal defense lawyer. He asked me how I would feel about working with smelly, down in their luck people. Then he asked me what the origin of my last name was. I said "Polish" and he pointed to a display of small flags on his desk and asked me which was the Polish flag.

You said it, Kitten: FREAKS.