What is the best type of Process Server?

May 12th, 2008

What qualities do you like best about your process server?

1 - Ability to serve anywhere in the UK?

2 - Price?

3 - Ability to trace the servee in the event that they have moved on or are evading service?

4 - Ability to serve same day (if required)?

5 - Ability to serve outside normal working hours?

6 - Effectiveness

While all the above are important to an instructing solicitor, price is probably the least important according to my research. Most solicitors would tend to put it last.

The best type of Process Server is one who has a combination of all six abilities as described above.

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What’s the difference between a Private Investigator and a Process Server?

April 5th, 2008

The government (in the form of the SIA) has been wrestling with the definition and still isn’t sure. You see they are trying to license Private Investigators in the UK and in order to do that they have to define what they do.

In all their definitions, what is clear is that a Process Server is not one. As far as I’m aware, a Process Server will not need a SIA license.

Often a Private investigator is also a process server. The main difference is that a PI will be able to carryout investigations and inquiries while a process server will not. They will only be able to serve process. No house to house inquiries, no tracing if the person is not at the address specified.

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What is a Private Investigator?

February 22nd, 2008

Everybody has seen at least one movie or television show involving a private investigator. Usually on these shows or in these movies, the private investigator works in a shady office and spends his (or her) day crouching in the bushes next to some seedy motel hoping for a “money shot.” A real private investigator, however, is much more diverse.

Often private investigators are hired by defence attorneys or insurance companies. While it is true that private investigators can also be hired to look into private matters they can also be hired to work as process servers, tracing delinquent debtors, and work on corporate matters like anti-fraud and anti-piracy cases.

Most areas require private investigators to obtain a professional private investigation license. Some are allowed to carry firearms. Some are ex-police officers, though this is not a requirement. They are known for their keen observation skills and their knowledge of the laws that govern the jurisdiction in which they work.

There are many benefits to hiring a private investigator. They are often viewed as impartial third parties. When you hire an investigator you are hiring someone who will work to find out the truth, regardless of who benefits from it.

Posted in General, Retail Fraud Prevention, Process Service | No Comments »

Tracing a 12 year boy for his estranged father

February 2nd, 2008

Last year I was involved in a trace and subsequent service of a court order on the mother of a 12 year old boy. The mother had broken off all contact with the father after their difficult breakup and decided to lose themselves in the bustle of the big city (London).

The instructing Solicitors had previously served the mother with a court order for contact but the mother promptly moved house and ignored the court order. They then came to me to trace them in order to serve another Order.

After some exhaustive tracing, I managed to locate the mother at her new boyfriends mothers house and even located the school that the boy attended. Although I caught glimpses of her at the address, I was never able to serve her personally. In the end the court order service via letter boxing and I did so and went on to the next job.

Last week, I received further instructions from the Solicitor to serve the mother yet again with another court order and the Judge in the case had ordered that the serve be letter boxed.

I decided that I would see if the mother still lived there (I suspected that she did not) and low and behold, she had moved yet again.

It gave me immense satisfaction to serve her personally this time as well as the letter box serve. The mothers face was a picture to behold because she couldn’t believe that it was possible to find her.

Posted in Surveillance, Tracing, Process Service | 1 Comment »

Jorge Salgado-Reyes - Private Investigator

January 6th, 2008

Magnum - P.I., Philip Marlowe, Sam Spade, Sherlock Holmes, Simon Templar, Crocket, Vincent.

Of the fictional PI’s that I’ve watched in my (sometimes) misspent youth, the character that has had the greatest impact on me was Rick Deckard from the Hollywood movie BladeRunner. Especially the part were he is looking in a newspaper for a job and the voice over says “They don’t advertise for killers in the newspaper. That was my profession. Ex-cop. Ex-blade runner. Ex-killer.”

The impression that most people have of PI’s is very much what they see in the American movies. AS we all know, the reality is a whole lot different. For starters I don’t drive around in a white Ferrari and I don’t carry a gun or any other weapon.

The investigations are, for the most part routine and tend to consist of lots of process serving, tracing down people who are lost (for one reason or another) and spying on people’s partners.

For me the most exciting types of investigations are the commercial and retail frauds where I get to gather evidence about employees and once gathered i get to interview them. It is satisfying to obtain a confession as a culmination of several months work.

So remember the next time you meet me, don’t expect me to show up to the meeting in a white Ferrari wearing a mac.

Posted in Surveillance, General, Tracing, Retail Fraud Prevention, Process Service | No Comments »