From: neves@aristotle.ils.nwu.edu.ils.nwu.edu (David &)
Subject: Re: How does a PI locate somebody?
Organization: The Institute for the Learning Sciences
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1993 15:17:26 GMT

I once asked a similar question and got the following from a former
(since passed away) net guru.  In memory of him:

From: larry@kitty.UUCP (Larry Lippman)
Newsgroups: misc.legal
Subject: Re: finding someones home address?
Summary: A few simple suggestions
Keywords: locating address
Date: 25 Jun 91 04:08:55 GMT
Organization: Recognition Research Corp., Clarence, NY

In article <2236@anaxagoras.ils.nwu.edu> neves@aristotle.ils.nwu.edu (David Neves) writes:
>I need to find some home addresses so that a summons can be issued.
>They are not in the phone book so how would I do this?  I know the
>county they live in.  One of the individuals owns a business.  The
>other individual might have a different name because of a recent
>divorce.

	The following are some simple suggestions that are applicable to
New York State, and should be applicable in most, if not all other states.
Bear in mind that you are going to have to do some legwork here...

1.	If you know the name of the business, and it is a d/b/a or
	partnership, you can identify the owners if you examine the
	business certificate records at the county clerk's office.
	Of course, if the business has been around for a while and
	the owner has moved to a new address, you may have a problem;
	however, the old address may offer a starting point to locate
	a current address.

2.	If you know the name of the business, and it is a corporation,
	checking with the Secretary of State of your state may reveal
	an address for the incorporator and/or address for service of
	process.  While such names and addresses are often those of a
	law firm, in many cases they may be the residence address of
	a principal of the corporation.

3.	If the person owns real property, you can visit the county
	clerk's office and perform a name search for "grantee" (a
	purchaser of real property), "grantor" (a seller of real
	property) and/or a "mortgagor" (one who obtains a mortgage
	on real property).

4.	If the person owns real property, but they do not currently
	reside at such location, you may find an address by checking
	with the village, city, town and/or county tax collector
	and/or assesor's office.  Such address would be where the tax
	bills are sent.  You generally need a property address to start
	with first.

5.	Visit your county board of elections.  Voter registration
	forms are generally a matter of complete public record
	(although you may have to *insist* a bit...), and often
	contain information such as date of birth and, yes,
	social security number.

6.	A judgment of divorce is a matter of public record with
	respect to name and address of parties, although the terms
	are often not a matter of public record.  Check your county
	clerk's office

7.	Check for judgments in the judgment docket of city court,
	county court and supreme (or superior) court.

8.	Check for other court proceedings that have progressed to
	the point of getting an index (i.e., case) number.  There
	is usually a department called "Actions and Proceedings"
	or an equivalent name associated with every court.  Note
	that this is *not* the same as a judgment docket search.

9.	Try the state department of motor vehicles, which can conduct
	a search of driver's license and vehicle registration data
	based upon name only.  Such information is a matter of public
	record, although motor vehicle departments tend to "discourage"
	such searches.  A fee is usually required for such a search,
	and the results are usually reported by mail - so it can take
	a while - even though a law enforcement agency can usually
	conduct such a search online in a matter of minutes.

10.	Check records in surrogate court if you have reason to believe
	that the subject person is an heir to and/or executor of an
	estate.

	There are numerous other methods, but the above are all based
upon information to which the public has right of full access, and no
"subterfuge" or ruse is required.

Larry Lippman @ Recognition Research Corp.  "Have you hugged your cat today?"
VOICE: 716/688-1231       {boulder, rutgers, watmath}!ub!kitty!larry
FAX:   716/741-9635   [note: ub=acsu.buffalo.edu] uunet!/      \aerion!larry




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