Detailed Description of Public and Court Records Available

CIVIL COURT
CRIMINAL COURT
NATIONAL CRIMINAL WANTS & WARRANTS
BANKRUPTCIES, TAX LIENS, JUDGMENT(S)
PROFESSIONAL LICENSE
VERIFICATIONS
MILITARY SERVICE
CORPORATE RECORDS SEARCH
UCC FILINGS
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
BUSINESS LICENSING
STATE BOARD OF EQUALIZATION
OSHA
BUSINESS CREDIT REPORT

CIVIL COURT: This search is by county or district, at the Municipal, County or Federal court levels for lawsuits filed by or against the applicant (plaintiff or defendant). These lawsuits can sometimes reveal information regarding the applicant's past activities and business ethics, wrongful discharge suits against former employers, breach of contracts, etc.
In this day and age of wrongful termination, discrimination, and sexual harassment litigation, this search is recommended to uncover a history of fraudulent lawsuits. Please provide the applicant's full name, any aliases utilized, and areas where the applicant resided, worked, or attended school as an adult.

CRIMINAL COURT: Felony and Misdemeanor records search for convictions by county. We search by county for misdemeanor (Municipal Court) and felony (County Court) convictions and, when required, a reading of the original court documents to verify identification of the subject and determine the disposition of the case.

Misdemeanor cases are heard in Municipal Court, and felony cases are heard in County Court. However, most preliminary hearings for felonies are first heard in Municipal Court. If there is sufficient evidence to support the felony charge, the case is then sent to County Court for trial. We recommend a review of both the Municipal and County Court because a failure to appear for a preliminary hearing on a felony or a misdemeanor charge would not be detected if only County Court records were searched.

Misdemeanor crimes include, among other things, petty theft, assault and battery, and certain drug-related offenses. Felony charges include grand theft, sale and transportation of drugs, embezzlement, and armed robbery, among other more serious crimes.

Two unfortunate realities for today's employers are workplace violence and negligent hiring litigation. By investigating an applicant's criminal background, companies can avoid workplace violence, and can also prove to a court of law that they have exercised their due diligence in the hiring process.

With fast, easy access to this valuable information, our clients can reduce the risk of negligent hiring suits, and reduce the risk of losses caused by employee theft. Employers can be held liable for any damages if an employee poses a threat to the public. Unfortunately, this can hold true even when the employee's transgression occurs outside of the scope of employment.

Information regarding the applicant's full name, aliases utilized, date of birth, and residential/business addresses are required to develop accurate records.

Federal Courts can also be searched for criminal violations of Federal Laws. Embezzlement, crimes committed across state line and offenses against the government are examples of Federal Crimes.

NATIONAL CRIMINAL WANTS & WARRANTS: Provides information on extradited wants or warrants on the applicant.

BANKRUPTCIES, TAX LIENS, JUDGMENT(S): A search by state for bankruptcies; by county for state and federal tax liens and releases; civil and small claim judgments and satisfactions; foreclosures and notices of default. This search is sometimes done instead of running the consumer credit report.

PROFESSIONAL LICENSE: Verification of professional licenses claimed by the applicant, including license type, date of issue, expiration date, and current status. In some instances, depending on the type of professional license, information is obtained regarding workers' compensation and bond coverage. Please provide the applicant's name, any aliases utilized, the type of license, the state where the license was issued, and, if available, the professional license number. This search will determine if the applicant's professional license is authentic, active or suspended, and discover any complaints, suspensions, or revocations filed against the license.

VERIFICATIONS: In an effort to end countless rounds of phone tag and long-distance calls, we provide our clients with the verifications they require, which frees up their time to focus on critical issues, such as applicant recruitment, employee morale, and much more.

Employment: We will verify employment at companies listed by the applicant. This check verifies dates of employment, position, supervisor, last salary earned, eligibility for re-hire, and reason for leaving by contacting either the personnel department or the former supervisors. References can also be obtained. Please provide the applicant's full name, social security number, and fully completed employment application (dates, locations, supervisor names, etc.)

Education/Academic Verification: Verifies the level of educational achievement, the place of education, type of degree, dates of attendance, and date of graduation. Please obtain the full name utilized by the applicant while attending school, his/her social security number, the location of the school, the year graduated, and information regarding the degrees/certificates received to ensure accurate results. Please note, occasionally the applicant's signature may be required. Also, in some instances, this search may determine if a degree has been withheld due to financial obligations to the school.

Personal References: Interviews with personal references provided by the applicant, including former fellow workers. Includes all information collected on the character of the applicant, based on the interaction with the references provided. This provides our clients with information as to how their applicants are perceived by others who know them, have worked with them, or who have done business with them.

MILITARY SERVICE: Verifies branch of service, dates of service and character of discharge.

CORPORATE RECORDS SEARCH: Verifies, through the Secretary of State's Office, affiliations the applicant may have/had with State corporations, in the capacity of officers, directors, or agents for service of process.

UCC FILINGS: Verifies any type of UCC filings the applicant may have on record with the Secretary of State's Office, i.e., financing statements, state tax liens, etc.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS: Verifies any fictitious business name filings in which the applicant is/was listed as the owner.

BUSINESS LICENSING: Verifies the existence of a city business licenses issued to the applicant and/or their business.

STATE BOARD OF EQUALIZATION: Verifies if the applicant was issued a sales tax permit for a business that is/was required to pay state sales tax.

OSHA: The Occupational Safety & Health Administration reports on the status of safety and hazard matters of individuals and companies in the medical, dental, automotive, and construction business. Pending complaints are also reported.

BUSINESS CREDIT REPORT: Provides information on a business' credit history, lines of credit, types of credit, and overall payment history, including length of time past due, and amounts past due.

What to Know When Hiring a Private Investigator

Make sure they have a license! The vast majority of states require that anyone engaging the practice of investigations be licensed. A Private investigator should be able to produce a copy of such a license immediately for you.

Note: There are many companies offering services on the internet which do not qualify as "investigations" but really should be. These companies are completely unregulated and most of these companies are "information brokers" who have access to databases of public records, like telephone numbers, address directories, voters registration filings, etc.
These unregulated companies offer "background checks" that are nothing more than database searches of old public records. That may be enough to get you what you need, (and if it is you can get the same information from a Licensed Private Investigation Company such as Investigative Resources), but if you need to be sure that the information is accurate, contact a Licensed Private Investigator. Please be sure that you understand who and what you are dealing with and what they are going to give you, before you hire anyone working in this sector.

Do you need to meet with the P.I.? No, not unless you want to. Much of what we do can be done quickly and with a minimal amount of inconvenience and the formality of a meeting is usually not necessary.

Always get a contract. Like any other service, you should get a contract that indicates what you are hiring the P.I. for and what you will get in return. If they cannot or will not present you with a contract, hang up the phone.

Experience. Some private investigators have little or no investigative background. There are those from a law enforcement or military career and decide that being a "private investigator" would be action packed and exciting. They enroll in some Private Detective school and after two months, they become a P.I. Does that mean that they are qualified to investigate your case? Not necessarily! It is important that you know the qualifications and experience of the investigator that will be working on your case. In our opinion, the more experienced the investigator, the greater the likelihood that your desired results will be achieved. You don’t want a 19 year old kid with a video camera conducting surveillance for you. It is also our opinion that you need someone who does this type of surveillance regularly. They should be experienced surveillance experts.

Licensed and Bonded. Being bonded is almost always a requirement to get a PI license. If you see a PI advertising that they are "bonded" that does not mean that they are a better investigator or that they offer you some special protection or status.

Are they insured? Keep in mind that the private investigator who you hire is working for you, as your agent. If he or she is working on your case and they damage someone’s property, get in a car accident, presents false information, etc., etc., etc., they should have ample insurance to cover any loses that arise. If they don’t, you, the one who hired them, are exposed. It is just good common sense to check for insurance coverage before you hire a PI. It should be no problem for a reputable investigator to present a certificate of insurance coverage for you to review and verify.