Property verification products and methods

• US 20050144018A9
• Filed: 05/15/2003
• Published: 06/30/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Larry Aptekar
• Original Assignee: Larry Aptekar
• Inventors: Aptekar, Larry
• Application Number:
  US10/439,142
• Publication Number:
  US 20040230439A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/307
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0645 Rental transactions; Leasing transactions

Abstract

A documentation product and methods for using the product to check rental property and take responsibility for the rental property are disclosed. The documentation product includes a rental document that corresponds to a rental transaction. The rental document includes identification of a rental company, identification of a renter, and identification of an image. The identified image depicts the property. The identified image can be compared to the returned property such that discrepancies can be determined. The rental document can also be acknowledged as corresponding to the property depicted at least in part by the image.

Claims

1. A documentation product comprising:

a rental document corresponding to a rental transaction, wherein the rental document includes at least;

(a) identification of a rental company;

(b) identification of a renter; and

(c) identification of an image;

wherein the image depicts the rented property.

2. The documentation product of claim 1, wherein the identification of the image comprises the image.

3. The documentation product of claim 1, wherein the identification of the image comprises identification of a second document attached to the rental document.

4. The documentation product of claim 1, wherein the identification of the image comprises identification of a location where data representing the image is stored.

5. The documentation product of claim 1, wherein the identification of the image comprises identification of an entity that has possession of the image.

6. The documentation product of claim 1, wherein the rental document further includes a textual description of the property.

7. The documentation product of claim 1, wherein the rental document further includes a sketch of the property indicating any damage to it.

8. The documentation product of claim 1, wherein the rental transaction is a portion of a second rental transaction.

9. The documentation product of claim 1, wherein the identification of the renter comprises a rental agreement number.

10. The documentation product of claim 1, wherein the image which depicts the rented property has at least one added marking indicating a location where damage is present.

11. The documentation product of claim 1 wherein the image which depicts the rented property is generated from one or more pre-mounted cameras positioned to take photographs of the rented property.

12. The documentation product of claim 1, wherein the rental document is electronic.

13. A method of checking the condition of rental property, comprising the steps of:

viewing a rental document that includes identification of an image depicting the property;

viewing the property;

viewing the image; and

comparing the property to the image such that discrepancies can be determined.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the rental property includes a vehicle and further comprising the step of:

obtaining the keys to the vehicle.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of:

determining one or more discrepancies between the property and the image.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of:

determining that there are no discrepancies between the property and the image.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the identification of the image comprises the image.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the identification of the image comprises identification of a second document attached to the rental document.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the identification of the image comprises identification of a location where data representing the image is stored.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the identification of the image comprises identification of an entity that has possession of the image.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein the rental document further includes a textual description of the property, and further comprising the step of:

comparing the property to the textual description such that discrepancies can be determined.

22. The method of claim 13, wherein the rental document further includes a sketch of the property indicating any damage to it, and further comprising the step of:

comparing the property to the sketch such that discrepancies can be determined.

23. The method of claim 13, wherein the rental transaction is a portion of a second rental transaction.

24. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of viewing the property includes remotely viewing the property.

25. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of viewing the property includes viewing a second image of the property.

26. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of:

obtaining the rental document.

27. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of:

preparing the rental document.

28. The method of claim 13, where viewing the image includes viewing a marking added to the image to indicate the specific location of damage.

30. The method of claim 28, further comprising the steps of:

determining one or more discrepancies between the property and the image; and

recording the discrepancies on the rental document prior to the step of acknowledging.

29. A method of taking responsibility for rental property, comprising the steps of:

obtaining the property;

obtaining a rental document that includes identification of an image depicting the property;

and acknowledging the rental document.

31. The method of claim 29, further comprising the step of:

determining that there are no discrepancies between the property and the image.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein the identification of the image comprises the image.

33. The method of claim 29, wherein the identification of the image comprises identification of a second document attached to the rental document.

34. The method of claim 29, wherein the identification of the image comprises identification of a location where data representing the image is stored.

35. The method of claim 29, wherein the identification of the image comprises identification of an entity that has possession of the image.

36. The method of claim 29, wherein the rental document further includes a textual description of the property.

37. The method of claim 29, wherein the rental document further includes a sketch of the property indicating any damage to it.

38. The method of claim 29, wherein the step of acknowledging the rental document includes signing the rental document.

39. The method of claim 29, wherein the step of acknowledging the rental document includes accepting payment from the renter.

40. The method of claim 29, wherein the rental transaction is a portion of a second rental transaction.

41. The method of claim 29, wherein the rental property includes a vehicle and further comprising the step of:

receiving the keys to the vehicle.