Local Search
Your investigation will
most likely begin in the local area where the subject was last known to reside.
Your
investigation has got to start with only what you have in front of you. If all you have is
an address and the name of a person, that's where you start. You could go to the
address, of course, even though you know the people you're looking for are no longer
living there. Maybe you've written to the address and the letter has come back marked
'forwarded mail expired.' So the thing to do is go to that address in person, knock
on the door, introduce yourself, talk to people in the house. Very often they'll have some
information. It depends on the time frame.
- Check
city and cris-cross directories at the library or request
a surname search from an Information Provider for that area. You may come up with the
address and/or phone number of a relative with the same last name. Following is a
link to an online reverse directory. Keep in mind that nothing is as complete as the bound
cris-cross directory at your local library.
- If you
get a match-up and obtain an address - even if the
subject has moved from that address - check the city or cris-cross directories for the
addresses and telephone numbers of nearby neighbors. Or request this information from an
Information Provider. The subject's occupation, spouse's name, and even the name of
the subject's employer may turn up.
- Research
property records at the county courthouse to find
out who bought the house or the name of the landlord. If the subject rented the
house, you may, by employing your best diplomatic skills, be able to obtain a copy of the
lease application or agreement.
- Ask at
the post office to see if the subject filled out a
change of address form, or ask an Information Provider to run a National New Address
Identifier, based on last name and previous address.
- Interview
neighbors. Sometimes a statement like, "I don't
know where they moved to, but a friend of ours said they thought it was Boston," will
be all you need to proceed with your search.
- Look into
marriage records at the county courthouse where the
subject last resided, or in the county where either the wife or the husband
resided. You may happen upon both sets of parents.
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