The truth about avoiders: you are not the only one looking for them.
Avoiders have experience avoiding. To combat this, you must be prepared. Make sure you have been provided with an address, vehicle information, and family information (wife, children, significant others who share the residence), and any other information that could prove helpful.
1. Develop an Action Plan
Start by reviewing all available information and verifying the subject’s identity. Analyze the data to determine which details will be useful for the skip trace, conduct the search, and assess the results. For a deeper understanding of these steps, refer to “The Art of Skip Tracing: The Basics.”
2. Investigate Vehicle Registration
Many states require proof of residency when renewing vehicle registrations. The DMV checks pre-approved documents to verify the accuracy of this information.
3. Explore Close Relationships
Investigate the spouse, children, or roommates from the last known address. These close connections can provide leads on the individual’s current location, whether at a former home or a new address. Some people may use their children’s Social Security numbers to qualify for new residences.
4. Look Up Associated Phone Numbers
Phone numbers and email addresses can lead you to friends they are staying with, their employer, businesses they own, or even their current taxi driver.
5. Examine Email Addresses
Although people frequently change email addresses, these are often linked to social media accounts, employers, or geographic locations. An email address can offer valuable clues and additional information.
6. Conduct a Postal Search
A postal search can take a week or more but may uncover former, current, and new addresses, especially if the individual has recently relocated. Here’s how to do it:
- Visit usps.com
- Enter the zip code
- Obtain the post office information
- Call to find out who handles PCO
- Fax your request, marking it “URGENT: COURT DEADLINE PENDING”
- Follow up two days later
- (It’s advisable to avoid starting with a postal search due to the time it may take.)
Multiple current addresses might indicate that they have moved back into a previously foreclosed property, used an old address for credit applications, or set up temporary mail forwarding.
7. Check Local Jails
If a postal search yields no results or if there’s a lack of information in the database, consider checking local jails.
8. Send a Private Investigator to Talk to Neighbors
Hiring someone to converse with neighbors can provide insights about who currently lives at the address, where the subject might have moved, and more. When approached respectfully, neighbors are often willing to assist, especially if you explain your purpose.
9. Review Public Records
Check criminal records or identify the individual’s parole officer. Knowing the address to which someone was released can help you locate friends or family who may have assisted in their release.
10. Consult the County Assessor
Determine the current owner of a property, especially if there’s a possibility of a forwarding address being left behind. This can also provide a timeline of when the subject moved out.
11. Utilize Your Databases
Most databases can provide essential information, including the individual’s date of birth, full Social Security number, and driver’s license details.
12. Investigate Utility Records
Records for water, sewer, trash, internet, electric, and gas services are typically updated when someone vacates a property. These records can reveal the individual’s location even if their current address is unknown.
