Asset investigation is one of the most important task for private investigators. Attorneys, debt collectors, businesses and individuals finding for hidden assets use asset search services. The private investigators perform asset searches. The main theme of them is finding the information that is tied to a financial judgment. It is important to hire a private investigator to detect the assets as it is not that easy to find it on own.
Tangible personal property that includes vehicles, equipment, computers, bank accounts, stocks, and inventory may also be checked during asset searches. Certain intangible property such as patents, accounts receivable, contracts, and other wages also come under asset investigation. Real properties like homes, condominiums, commercial and apartment buildings are also checked in asset searches. It is very difficult to conduct an asset search. An expert investigator makes the search simple and easy.
Before performing an asset search through public records, it is necessary to know the subject’s correct name and address. The place where the individual lives, and the employment place should also be known. This includes the first or initial step of asset search.
There are certain cases where the individual or company owes money and are not repaid. In such cases investors, creditors, and government entities are used to locate the assets.
In cases such as child support payments, divorce or collection on judgment, income or wages is checked. It is one of the major assets that is helpful in asset search.
In cases of the death of the subject, the Social Security Death Index is to be checked.
Sometimes a surveillance investigation can be done to find the assets by following the defendant to his place of employment.
Unearned income is also checked during asset searches. This is very important because it may include money that comes from rental property, and dividends or interests on stocks.
Apart from all these certain local level searches, searches through jurisdictions and country assessors office may help in finding the assets. Local level searches include the searches of real property, UCC filings, corporate data and so on from country or city level. Search through jurisdiction involves searching the records from more than 4,300 jurisdictions present in the United States.