Public Records Search
What is a public records search?
Records and documents are produced daily by government entities, businesses, organizations and corporations. A private individual will also be the subject of records, such as marriages, property sales, court judgments, arrests, etc. A public records search is the process of locating these records.
Governmental Public Records
The Florida Public Records Law, Chapter 119, Florida Statutes, gives the public access to public records, defined as "all documents, papers, letters, maps, books, tapes, photographs, films, sound recordings, data processing software, or other material, regardless of the physical form, characteristics, or means of transmission," made or received in connection with government agency business. The Florida Supreme Court has interpreted this definition to encompass all material prepared to "perpetuate, communicate, or formalize knowledge.
When officials circulate material for review, comment, or information, the material is a public record. Records of advisory bodies, private organizations, or independent contractors acting as agents of government agencies are public unless covered by a specific exemption.
All records, regardless of whether they are in final form, are open for public inspection unless they are specifically exempt by law. Regardless of the statutory requirement, we find that some governmental agencies are reluctant to produce certain public records. The average private citizen may feel intimated when he of she tries to execute his/her right to view these records. If you are wanting public records that are maintained by any governmental entity in Florida, contact Midstate Security and Investigations. Our private investigators are well versed on Florida's public records laws and will be persistent in ensuring that these records are made available.
Other Public Records
Records also exist on private individuals, corporations, businesses, charitable organizations, and others. Examples of public records that can be located are:
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Driving records
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Credit records
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Property records
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Court records
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Records relating to bankruptcies and judgments
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Criminal records
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Prison records
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Records that list assets
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Financial records
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Marriage records
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Corporate and business records
Depending on the case, documents relating to employment, military service, and name changes can also be searched. Qualified private investigators can search records listed under aliases and international records as well.
What can public records searches do for me?
There are many ways records searches can be useful. If you are a prospective employer, you will want to know as much about an applicant as possible to ensure that he or she is qualified, and that the applicant is hiding nothing that will become a liability for the employer.
Private individuals also can benefit from a public records search. You may want to make certain that the person, business or organization with whom you are having dealings with are who they say they are, and credible.
to help ensure that a person or organization with whom he or she is qualfFor example, public records searches are an important part of criminal background checks, background checks, and private investigations. They can reveal a person’s past and if they are really who they appear to be. Moreover, they can help you find out what others are trying to hide.
Any time you need to know about someone’s background, public records are a good way to get reliable information. They can even be used to research genealogy and family history.
Why hire a private investigator to do a records search?
Whether you are an individual, law firm or corporation, a private investigator will know the best way to collect information and obtain original records. They use records searches in nearly all investigation types and will be able to quickly and efficiently gather information for you.
Private individuals may want to find out information about whom they have a romantic interest in, they may be the owner of a business and want to check a prospective employee's background, or they may be an individual looking for their birth parents.
Law firms may want to locate a witness to conduct an interview or they may need to serve legal documents on that individual. They may know about an heir that needs to be contacted. They might want to find assets and to also investigate the veracity of a claim in a lawsuit. Corporations may want to perform undercover fraud assessment or perhaps competitive intelligence. They hire private investigators to conduct pre-employment research for them. They may also use investigators to determine the compliance with governmental regulations as well as research copyright and privacy issues.
These are only a few examples of why you may want to hire a private investigator to search records.
Can't I just use free records searches online?
There are plenty of online companies that promise free records searches. Others offer very inexpensive records searches, sometimes for less than $20. All such free and inexpensive options promise to be fast and effective.
While these options may sound tempting, there are plenty of reasons why you will want to avoid them. First, many of these companies rely on outdated or incomplete information that you should not solely rely upon. Second, some of these companies charge hidden fees or have poor privacy policies, which means that you may end up paying more for these free online records searches than you thought. Third, many of these companies use less than professional methods for gathering information. Fourth and finally, all this means that you may end up with overpriced and useless information when using these online and free public records search tools. Worse, you may find yourself in trouble thanks to the less-than-scrupulous ways these companies look for information.
Regardless of your reason to search for records, rely on the qualified and professional private investigators at Midstate Security and Investigations to perform When your search for a pbu
Call Midstate Security and Investigations, LLC today for a free, no-obligation assessment of your needs.