When to use a Private Investigator in Collection Matters

Obtaining a judgment can be easier than collecting on a judgment.  Debtors will often use tactics to evade collection and hide assets.  When you need to find evidence that leads to assets you can use a private investigator in your collection matters.

If the debtor is being evasive, it could be time to bring in an investigator.

Here are three ways a PI can get you better leverage on your debtor.

1. Conduct an asset and background investigation

This will be the most basic starting point to getting the money that’s owed to you. An asset investigation will allow you to determine where the debtor stands financially. You can get the full picture about whether they’re lying about not being able to pay or simply being stingy.

Next, a background investigation will help you determine the debtor’s litigation history. It’s possible that you’re not the only person waiting to get paid. Finding out where your collection stands will let you know when you can expect to get your dues.

Through these two investigations will also reveal if the debtor owns property, vehicles, planes or boats, and any other type of high-ticket item they might have funds tied up in. Knowing what they own can present an opportunity to have the court mandate selling some of these purchases in order to pay off the debt owed to you.

2. Find out where they really live

While you may already have their address, it is still important to see precisely where they live. Is their residence easily accessible from the street? Is it in a gated community?

This information is important for the next stage of an investigation: evidence collection.

One of the best ways to get information on a person is to go through their trash. Once that dumpster bin is out and on the street, waiting to be collected, it technically becomes public property.

In a trash can, you can find receipts, bank statements, offer letters, and a multitude of documents that can link the debtor to people, places, hidden assets, other ownership, and possibly other collections they’re involved in.

3. Lifestyle surveillance

Conducting surveillance over several days to document and track behavior of the the debtor can give you the story of their lifestyle, business dealings and standard of living.

Being able to track their day-to-day activities enables you to discover spending behaviors, relationships and interactions with businesses.

If they spend their money frequently, you’ll know where they went. The type of place will determine if the money they spent on retail should actually be going to your bottom line instead.

Intelligence gathering becomes crucial when you’re determining setting a judgment debtor examination, levying on a bank account or subpoenaing records is the best move. If you have the full picture your odds of effectively collecting on your judgment vastly increase.