In a very connected world, it is still difficult to track down people. At Santoni Investigations, we know that and rely on people as our best source for information.  What they observe and hear can be vital to any case.  Whether you are tracking down a witness to a car accident or a former employee, knowing what they will say or not say, can make or break your case.

Locate Investigations

In many instances, a locate investigation will be necessary to serve a witness with a subpoena or to setup an interview. We often find that in conducting a locate investigation that it is vital to develop a profile on the subject we are tracking down.  In order to get a grasp of where they might be residing or working, you need to understand their past and what would motivate them to cooperate.

Oftentimes, hard-to-locate subjects cannot be found because they are residing with a relative, which does not typically show up on database searches.  Subjects with histories of run-ins with the law can be found in prison or jail.  Elderly subjects are often residing with relatives or have been put into assisted care facilities.  A subject with a history of financial issues, including collection issues, unsteady employment and judgments, will pose a problem for an untrained investigator.  Understanding how to read and interpret database searches can provide useful profile information on a subject.

A locate investigation should include a variety of database searches, inquiries with postal authorities, discreet calls to phone numbers developed, property searches, employment database searches, professional license searches and searches of social networking and professional networking sites.

Discreet calls to the subject and his or her relatives and associates are the best way to verify information.  A skilled investigator utilizes a trap line and blind line service to approach a subject in a professional and discreet manner.

Using the Ex-factor for Locate Investigations

When a subject has gone “underground,” an experienced investigator will look for what we refer to as the “Ex-factors.”

  • Ex-spouse
  • Ex-boyfriend
  • Ex-partner
  • Ex-landlord
  • Ex-neighbor
  • Ex-boss
  • Ex-co-worker

Once an “ex” is identified, a tactful conversation must be had to develop useful information that will help the investigator locate the subject.

Clients often ask what kind of information we need to locate a subject.  “Can you locate someone if all I have is his or her name?”  The answer to this question is most often yes.  A trained investigator can work from a name to a pool of possible people subject based on location of residence or employment, associations, relatives and other pieces of information that can positively identify your subject.

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Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you can simply run with data from one, or worse, an unsubstantiated source. Good journalists know to verify their facts with multiple sources and so do skilled and competent investigators.

Which is why Santoni Investigations has compiled the following list of commonly used resources that many employers rely on, yet may get a false sense of security. These four investigative sources, if taken solely as verification of facts, may lead to trouble ahead.

Don’t Just Rely on These 4 Investigative Techniques:

1)   Database reports from a single commercial provider printed out or copied to a word document.

2)   Emails with a couple of unverified facts.

3)   A couple of database searches with the important information highlighted, underlined or starred.

4)   A single source database search with no indication of context of search and evidence of verified information.

Contact Santoni Investigations for a comprehensive investigative report that relies on multiple, verifiable sources.

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Whether an attorney, business owner or embattled ex-spouse, the number one inquiry we receive is, “Can you find assets?”

In response to a client asking if we perform asset searches or asset checks, the first question we ask is “When you say ASSETS what exactly are you looking for?”  The prospective client oftentimes responds with, “I want to find bank accounts and liquid assets…”  While liquid assets held in bank accounts and equity type accounts are attractive, finding them is only one facet of actually collecting.  Having an active and enforceable judgment via writ, levy or garnishment is imperative as you will need to act quickly and strategically to recover any assets that are found via investigative research.

Prepare a Game Plan

Prior to conducting bank account research, it is best to do an address history and property search. These are conducted to determine if the debtor owns any property or has transferred any property pre-judgment.  Also it is vital to identify the counties in which the properties are owned so that an abstract of judgment can be filed to block a sale, transfer or re-finance without satisfaction of your judgment.

We also recommend that an asset search include an employment search, which is commonly referred to as a POE (Place of Employment) search.  If a debtor is actively employed, an attorney can work to garnish their wages and work to recover a debt owed to you.

There are also some other signs that will indicate whether a debtor either has the ability to pay or is truly suffering from financial hardship.  Some of these searches include a search of civil case filings for any active litigation or civil judgments.  We also search for evidence of Bankruptcy, Liens and Notices of Default.

While an asset search is often focused on tangible assets or employment, another key piece of information to look at is whether or not the debtor party has the ability to generate income.  That said, we typically look at professional licenses and certifications.  We also look at civil and criminal filings in which the debtor is involved to determine if he or she is employable.  If he or she has been convicted of a felony or found guilty of embezzlement or other white-collar crimes, it may be harder to find employment as companies screen for these convictions.

Stick to the Legal Game Plan When Searching for Assets

If the client has a judgment from a court, they have the right to obtain a full credit report, search for bank accounts and have their attorney conduct a Judgment Debtor Examination. This puts the legal system to work to uncover any assets that are hiding.

Business Asset Searches

When it comes to looking at privately held businesses, the size and scope has a direct impact on what information is reported and available.  Publicly held companies are required to report detailed financial and company information that can be accessed very easily.  Privately held companies can be required to provide some basic financial information to the state in which they are incorporated.

8 Key things to consider when conducting asset searches on businesses are:

  1. Property Ownership
  2. Business Credit Report
  3. UCC Filings
  4. Executives / Managers
  5. Sales / Revenue
  6. Domain Name Registrations
  7. Civil Litigation
  8. Judgments

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