We recently wrote an article about bank account searches and as we were writing it we realized that it was only a subtopic of a much larger topic: asset searches. Today we’ll cover the ins and outs of the assets search as well as provide what we think are some of the better resources out there.
Why Consider Doing This?
You wouldn’t think there were a lot of reasons to search for assets, but it turns out there are and that some of them are a little sketchier than others. Some people perform them because they think they may find some long lost hidden treasure to their name. Others are trying to find out information about someone that interests them; this could be a spouse or simply someone who owes them money. Others, especially banks, are doing it for investing or loaning reasons.
There are a lot of legitimate and legal reasons to perform asset searches. Just note that this is not like what happens in the movies. An asset search company will track down public documents for you (that you would likely be unable to find by yourself). They are not going to send a bunch of thugs to break into someone’s house and steal private documents.
Asset Search Companies: Keep in mind that some companies specialize in certain areas and not all of them will be able or willing to do what you are asking.
CSILegal.com: The CSI stands for Confidential Security and Investigations. This site is a real hoot for us. When you visit the site, you almost feel as if you are about to track down some bad guys and take back the loot they stole from you. Basically CSILegal appears to have assembled a team of experts that can provide asset searches. These guys seriously claim to do it all: asset tracing, competitive intelligence, background intelligence, forensic accounting, fraud risk management, and computer forensics. These are the guys you want if you want to track down some assets.
I’ve included a picture here, but you definitely need to see this site for yourself if you are in the asset search business.
CheckMateReports.com: CheckMate provides asset searches mostly for judgment collection matters. Basically the idea is that judge or other civil officer needs evidence that the guilty party can pay the necessary fines or obligations. Checkmate is in the business of searching for this evidence. Usually a lawyer or a registered civil servant has to require these searches. These guys look legitimate, but I would recommend contacting them by phone as their “Order Online” function looks a little fishy.
Investigation.com/assetsearch: Another business asset search company that does it all.
Free Asset Search
A lot of people are probably wondering if there are any free asset searches available. The truth is that anyone can perform an asset search for free. As I mentioned above these companies are simply collecting publicly available information. The difference is they know where to look and they will save you tons of time. If you are still intent on doing this yourself, then take a visit to publicrecordcenter.com. They act as a good starting point for tracking down information. Realize that the publicrecordcenter.com website does not actually perform asset searches; they simply direct you to state and local government websites so you can perform your own. This takes a lot of time and you won’t gather near the quality/quantity of evidence that an asset search company will.
Other Asset Search Resources:
Aroundme.com – look for local assets
Jcsusa.com – Pretty high quality searches for a decent price.
Stealthdatasolutions.com
