How Do I Find a Missing Person that Needs to be Served?
No one enjoys a visit from a process server, but some people dislike it so much that they go to great efforts to avoid them. No matter what, avoiding a process server is a lost cause, but that doesn’t stop people from trying. Evasive targets just make the process server’s job longer and more costly, but eventually, everyone gets “served” one way or another.
Are you a process server with a hard-to-find target? Here are our top tips and tricks to locate even the most elusive individuals:
Investigate Their Background
Look in every nook and cranny of the internet, court records, and public records to find out as much as possible about the target’s background. You might even want to speak with some of your network contacts in-person to see if the target is known in the industry. Some great information to collect includes:
- Name
- Addresses
- Phone numbers
- Aliases/nicknames
- Vehicle make, model, color, unique bumper stickers, and other identifiers
- Picture or physical description of the target
- Best time and place to contact
- History of evading service
- History of violence
You might not be able to find all these pieces of information for every target, and that’s okay! Just gather as much info as you can to get a good idea of who you are dealing with, then plan your next moves.
Organized Notes Help
The longer a target evades service of process, the longer you will have to collect information about them. You need a way to organize all the information you are collecting so you can refer back to it later. A simple notepad or note app on your phone is essential for jotting down notes on the fly, then reviewing them, later on, to hopefully piece together the bigger picture.
Act Familiar
When someone is actively evading a process server, they’ll be on the lookout for anyone around them acting strangely or out of place. It’s crucial for you to behave as if you belong in whatever setting you are in, from a formal business office to a local gas station, and everywhere in between. This means dressing the part, speaking in a way that is similar to those around you, and not doing anything to make yourself stick out. The more comfortable you seem the less likely the target is to identify you prematurely and runs off.
Make Some Calls
Sometimes you’ve got to pull a few other people into the mix to flush a target out. Calling the target’s associated numbers, which often belong to friends and family members, is a great way to get the word out to others that the target is being sought. Why does that matter? Because your target might not care if you are looking for them…until their mom finds out. Then, suddenly, the target becomes a lot more cooperative. Who would have thought that?
Join Our Premier Process Service Team
If you’re an experienced process server looking for a quality agency to join, let us introduce ourselves. We’re Accurate Serve®, and we have offices all over sunny Florida (and nationwide!) with the sole purpose of providing the absolute best process service in the state. For more info, contact us.