SOURCES OF INFORMATION Flashcards
Building Inspector
• Building permits, showing the names of the applicants, the address of construction, the
estimated costs, and the name of the builder or contractor
• Blueprints and plans showing construction details that are often submitted with applications for building permits
• Building inspectors’ reports containing information regarding compliance with construction specifications
Regulatory Agencies
In many cities, the following
businesses would have to apply for licences to operate:
• Businesses seeking liquor licences
• Professionals, including chartered accountants, dentists, doctors, plumbers, electricians, and optometrists
• Restaurants, bars, and night clubs (which are frequently inspected by health and fire departments)
• Businesses operating under names other than the owners’ names (such businesses must
register under assumed names and are included in the city’s DBA [doing business as] files)
Tax Assessor/Collector
A municipal/regional tax assessor’s office maintains maps of real property in the city, including a property’s dimensions, address, owner, taxable value, and improvements. A tax collector’s office may contain the following information:
• Names and addresses of payers of property taxes, even if the taxes were paid by individuals other than the apparent owners
• Legal descriptions of property
• Amounts of taxes paid on real and personal property
• Delinquency status of taxes
• Names of former property owners
Coroner
A county coroner’s register generally contains the name or a description of the deceased; the
date of inquest, if any; any property found on the deceased and its disposition; and the cause
of death.
Court Records
A court clerk often maintains records that contain records in such civil actions such as liens,
name changes, and divorces. These papers generally include the complaint (identifying the
plaintiffs, the defendants, and the cause of action), the answer to the complaint, and the judgement rendered. In some instances, depositions are introduced as exhibits and become part of the court records. Whether a transcript of the proceedings was made may be indicated in the clerk’s minutes or in the file jacket.
In divorce case files, the complaint should identify the plaintiff and defendant; the place and date of marriage (which indicates the appropriate county recorder’s records); the date of separation, if applicable; children’s names, ages, and birth dates; community property; and grounds or charges, if any. The complaint also identifies the attorneys in the action and contains the plaintiff’s signature. A cross complaint or answer should contain the
defendant’s signature.
A probate index will list actions alphabetically by the name of the estate or petitioner, and will give the date of filing and the docket number. The case file often lists causes of action and rulings regarding the estate, the status of potential beneficiaries, status as a minor, adoption, incompetence, or insanity.
The court clerk also maintains criminal court files that may contain information describing the offences and the counts. These files may also contain the complainant’s signature (exemplar); a transcript of the preliminary hearing; the names of the prosecuting and defence attorneys; the probation officer’s report, with a background investigation of the defendant; and the subpoenas issued in the case.
Birth, Death, and Marriage Records
In some countries, the vital statistics office with records of all births, deaths, and marriages is
located at the state or provincial level. In other countries, these records may be at the federal
or national level.
Professional Associations and Licensing Boards
Many local agencies or bodies maintain records identifying individuals holding special licences or memberships. These can include: • Medical practitioners such as doctors, dentists, nurses • Social workers • Attorneys • Public or Chartered Accountants • Real estate licensees • Notaries • Law enforcement personnel • Fire fighters • Security guards • Stockbrokers • Teachers • Insurance agents • Private investigators • Bail bond agents • Travel agents • Barbers, cosmetologists • Contractors, engineers, electricians, architects
Land Registry Office
A land registry office maintains the following information:
• Documents pertaining to real estate transactions, including deeds, grants, transfers and
mortgages of real estate, releases of mortgages of real estate, releases of mortgages,
powers of attorney, and leases that have been acknowledged or approved
• Mortgages on personal property
• Wills admitted to probate may be attached to a property
• Notices of mechanic’s liens
• Transcripts of judgements that are made liens on real estate
• Notices of attachment on real estate
• Other documents permitted by law to be recorded
Business Filings Division
Corporations must be registered with the government to conduct business. Corporate records often include: • Corporate name • Ownership information • Stock value • Initial shareholders • Directors and officers • Registered agent • Principal office • Date of incorporation • Standing/Status • Other names used
Department of Labour
Labour departments will maintain records concerning labour arbitrations, collective
agreements, and other labour records, and many of these records are public.
Civil Litigation Records
Civil litigation records can be accessed at the court in which they are filed. Sometimes they
may be available online.
Criminal Records
Not all criminal records may be open to the public for inspection. The clerk of the court in
which the case was filed should be contacted to determine what records are available.
Bankruptcy Records
Bankruptcy filings are generally public records and can be accessed upon payment of a fee.
Customs and Revenue Agencies
- Tax services. This information is restricted, but it can provide tax information on individuals and business.
- Customs and excise. These records contain information on the importing/exporting of goods to and from the country.
Other Regulatory Agencies
At the regional or federal level, the following records may also be available: • Auto licences, auto transfers, and sales of vehicles • Civil service applications • Driver’s licences • Health department records • Inheritance and gift tax returns • Name changes • Occupancy and business licences • Parole officer’s and probation department’s files • Personal property tax returns • School and voter registrations • Regional income tax returns • Welfare agency records
Better Business Bureau
A number of Better Business Bureaus are located throughout the globe. They are sponsored
by local businesses and offer a variety of services, including background information on local
businesses and organisations. The bureaus generally keep information about criminal rackets
and cons and their operators and can provide information about the business reputations of
local groups.
Chamber of Commerce
Chambers of Commerce generally have city directories and often keep back issues of the
directories. They also have information regarding reputations of businesses and operators in
the area.
Abstract and Title Companies
In addition to records of individual transactions, abstract and title companies often publish
and distribute papers to attorneys, real estate brokers, insurance companies, and financial
institutions. These papers contain information about transfers of property, locations, mortgage amounts, and release of mortgages.
Bonding Companies
An application for a bond contains the applicant’s (person or firm) financial statement and data. This is essentially the same information that is required in loan applications (though in greater detail).
Credit Card Records
Information on expenditures can be obtained from firms such as MasterCard, American
Express, Diners Club, Discover, and Visa. This information usually requires a subpoena or
court order.
Stockbrokers
Stockbrokers maintain information similar to that of banks on many of their clients, especially those who have margin accounts. They maintain records of transactions for all clients.
Western Union
Records for paid money orders are stored in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and contain the
original telegram, by purchaser or sender, and bank drafts by Western Union. Western Union retains orders for less than $1,000 for two years and orders of $1,000 or more for six years.
International Air Transport Association
This association has information on all international matters dealing with aviation security, including counterterrorism efforts worldwide. It also monitors and attempts to prevent fraud against airlines, such as ticket fraud.
International Foundation for Art Research
The International Foundation for Art Research (IFAR) is a nonprofit organisation
established in 1969 to help prevent the circulation of forged and misattributed works of art.
IFAR offers an Authentication Service to help resolve controversies concerning the authenticity of works of art. IFAR also publishes quarterly journals on authentication
research, art law, theft and recovery, and an extensive listing of recently reported stolen and
missing art and antiques.
The types of information available from report services often include:
- Driving records
- Criminal conviction history
- Education verifications
- Professional licence verifications
- National address locator
- National telephone identifier
- Real property records
- Federal criminal and civil record checks
- Consumer public filings
- Military locator
- Names and addresses of neighbours
- Civil court records
- Business public filings
- Business credit checks
- Corporate records
- Aircraft registrations
- Pleasure craft registrations
- Vehicle registration (by licence number or name of person or company)
- National criss-cross service
- Bankruptcy searches
- Grantor and grantee searches
- Abstracts of judgements
- Tax liens
City Directories
City directories usually contain the name, residence, occupation, and sometimes the place of
employment of the city’s influential people. Such directories can usually be found at public
libraries, chambers of commerce, and second-hand bookstores.
Gale Directory Library
The new Gale Directory Library takes some of their most popular directories on companies,
publishers, associations, and more and makes them available online. With Gale Directory
Library, users can use state-of-the-art functionality to perform a range of data sorting,
filtering, and exporting. Users can use the library to find contacts, companies, individuals, or
publications by searching with a name or keyword; generate lists and analyze trends by
exporting data to Word or Excel; and search across a growing number of directory titles.
Each directory can be searched individually by its own unique data fields, or the entire
directory collection can be searched.
Directories in Print
This publication, published by Gale, thoroughly describes and indexes about 164,000
directories of all kinds, including business and industrial directories, professional and scientific rosters, foreign directories, and other lists and guides. Directories in Print covers a
wide range of subjects, including general business; manufacturing industries and commercial
services; banking, insurance, and financial services; advertising, marketing, and public
relations; health care services; law, military, and government; and associations, philanthropy,
ethnic groups, and religion.
