Asset Investigation is one of the most frustrating investigative fields because a civil judgment against a person, business, or entity is simply nothing more than a piece of paper stating that “so and so” owes “so and so” some money. The frustrating part is that the value of that judgment is worth about as much as the paper it is printed on if you do not know how or where to collect on it.

Since a civil judgment is exactly that – civil – there is no criminally way for the courts to make a person pay the judgment, even though it is a court order. Sole responsibility for collection of that judgment falls on the party that the money is owed to. 

Unfortunately and frequently, rather than just pay what the court ordered, people who owe go to great lengths to hide their money in all sorts of ways, like using different names, placing assets under family members’ names, etc.

Our clients often come to us with information or reports they purchased from the internet, but many times this data is incorrect or incomplete.  The internet holds an overwhelming amount of information , but finding thorough and credible sources require skill so as to not waste your time and money. Additionally, the internet does not frequently provide up-to-date, appropriate, or accurate intelligence for judgment/asset recovery. 

SECO therefore has extensive resources for this purpose, which starts with immediate on-line access to specialized information brokers and indices to all public record databases, statewide and nationwide. These records are very accurate and search a vast database pool, including personal and business asset ownership information (such as property, businesses, cars, boats, etc.). Appropriate background information such as different names that may have been used or family identification information is also determined to expand the scope of the investigation. 

Depending on the outcome of the preliminary asset investigation, and how well your respective debtor has hidden the money, investigative efforts may escalate to identify more personal and detailed information. Each case is very different and therefore  different investigative tools will be used.

Ultimately, SECO’s resources are boundless and our expertise prohibits any debtor, no matter how well the money’s been hidden, from paying our clients what the court says they owe.