“Our Asset Recovery Investigation division reveals the financial profiles of individuals and businesses to support informed decision-making. We offer several tiers of service—from basic public records searches to ‘deep’ investigations—that can uncover hidden assets such as bank, brokerage, and retirement accounts, as well as offshore holdings.
While people hide assets for reasons ranging from personal to professional, the core intent is to shield wealth from discovery. This behavior does not always indicate criminal intent; however, it often suggests a moral or ethical failing, reflecting a subject’s desire to keep their true financial standing from scrutiny.”
The Importance of Asset Discovery
Whether for business or personal matters, identifying hidden assets is often essential. Detailed financial knowledge can provide the necessary grounds for legal actions or the foundation for successful business partnerships. Beyond the private sector, law enforcement relies on asset monitoring to track underworld activities and money laundering, particularly regarding offshore accounts. Ultimately, an asset search ensures full financial disclosure in both civil and criminal matters.
The primary motivations for an asset search in the private and family sectors include:
New Business Ventures: Before investing in a venture, onboarding a new investor, or executing a merger, it is vital to conduct a thorough background check. A comprehensive asset search ensures you have a clear picture of the individual’s or corporation’s financial health.
Pre-Litigation (Pre-Judgment): It is prudent to verify a defendant’s assets before filing a lawsuit. If an individual or company lacks the means to pay a court-ordered sum, the legal fees may outweigh the potential recovery. Determining what property can be attached on an uncontested basis ensures that a victory in court translates into a tangible recovery.
Judgment Collection: When a court orders a payment, it issues a judgment. However, the judicial system does not collect these funds; that responsibility falls to the plaintiff. Because defendants rarely pay voluntarily, an asset search is necessary to identify seizable property or income streams.
Due Diligence on Seized Property: Judgments can last for ten years or longer, but collecting often requires deposing the debtor under oath. If a debtor offers property (such as a vehicle or boat) to satisfy the debt, an asset search is critical to identify existing liens. Taking possession of encumbered property may inadvertently transfer liability for those liens to you.
Divorce and Family Law: Marital finances are often complex, and it is common for a spouse to conceal assets to avoid equitable distribution. A professional search ensures all accounts and property are accounted for during settlement.
Child Support and Alimony: Public enforcement agencies are often overwhelmed. When an obligated parent hides assets to plead “inability to pay,” a private search can locate hidden wages or property. This information can then be handed to the proper authorities to facilitate collection.
Estate and Probate Disputes: Assets are frequently omitted from wills, whether intentionally or by mistake. Beneficiaries or claimants against an estate should conduct a search to ensure they receive their rightful share of the total assets.
There are clearly situations of a business or personal nature in which it is essential to check for the possibility of hidden assets. Knowledge of such assets can make a big difference in the establishment of grounds for particular types of interpersonal actions or the furthering of certain business relationships. And of course the law enforcement community needs to monitor underworld activities, a part of which is watching for laundered or hidden assets, especially those that might end up being removed to offshore accounts. Thus, an asset search is vital to full disclosure of resources in a variety of matters both civil and criminal. The primary reasons for an asset search in the private or family sector are evaluated below:
Entering into a New Business Venture – If one is considering investing in a new business, bringing a new investor into an existing company or contemplating a merger between companies, it is essential to conduct a thorough background check on the individual or corporation. Such a check also includes a comprehensive assets search.
Prior to Entering into a Lawsuit (Pre-Judgment) – It is important to conduct an assets search prior to filing suit against an individual or company to determine what assets or regular income is present in the event a judgment is ordered by the court. It is not worth the cost of legal fees to file a suit against a person or company that will be unable to pay any court-ordered sum. It is also important to determine what assets or property could be attached on an uncontested basis once a judgment is issued, assuming victory in the suit. If the entity to be sued has nothing of value that can be taken, there is no point in entering into a suit.
Collecting on a Judgment – When the court order a sum of money to be paid as part of a civil action, a judgment is issued, this is simply a court order for the payment of funds. It is rare for the defendant to simply pay the amount ordered on the spot. The judicial system only orders payment, but collection is the responsibility of the plaintiff.
A judgment will stand for ten years, but can be extended to become permanent. However, this requires that the defendant, who is now considered to be the debtor, be questioned in a deposition or hearing under oath regarding their financial status. If the debtor is going to surrender an item of property such as an automobile or boat, be certain to do an asset search before taking possession. If there are any liens against the property, taking possession may also bring with it liability for the lien.
Divorce – The finances involved in a divorce can often become rather complicated. It is not uncommon for a spouse to hide assets that would be open to dispute. An asset search of the party being divorced is very important to be certain that all assets are accounted for.
Child Support/Alimony – Public child support enforcement agencies are ill-equipped to locate parents who evade their child support obligations. Quite often the errant parent will attempt to hide assets, thus pleading an inability to meet child support or alimony payments. In child support cases, once the parent is located, information regarding their wages or any hidden assets should be given to the proper child support enforcement agency that can then facilitate collection.
Contesting of a Will – Quite often personal assets may be hidden and not disclosed in a will. Potential beneficiaries or those entitled to a claim against the estate should search for the possibility of hidden assets.
Asset Recovery & Discovery: Understanding the Financial Profile
Everything of value is potentially an asset. From liquid holdings like stocks, bonds, and bank accounts to tangible property such as real estate, vehicles, aircraft, and luxury furnishings, assets define a subject’s true financial standing. In investigative terms, personal assets are categorized into two primary classes: Personal Property and Real Property.
Classifying Assets
Tangible Personal Property: This includes physical items such as vehicles, equipment, inventory, and hardware, as well as accounts with immediate cash value like bank accounts, stocks, bonds, and paid insurance policies. While ownership of licensed property (vehicles, boats, or aircraft) is determined by title and registration, ownership of other tangible goods is typically established by possession, sales receipts, or canceled checks.
Intangible Personal Property: This category consists of non-physical assets that hold significant value, including patents, royalty agreements, promissory notes, contracts, accounts receivable, and diverse income streams.
Real Property: This class encompasses all land and structures, including residential homes, condominiums, apartment complexes, and commercial buildings. Notably, while a primary residence protected by a homestead exemption may be shielded, all other real estate remains subject to court-ordered attachment or claims.
Strategic Applications in Business
In the corporate sector, asset searches are a cornerstone of due diligence, used to verify the financial health and integrity of potential partners or investors. These investigations are also critical in:
Litigation Strategy: Determining if a party has the ability to pay before committing to a lawsuit.
Debt & Judgment Collection: Identifying seizable assets or income to satisfy small claims or larger court-ordered judgments.
Bankruptcy Verification: Uncovering sequestered or hidden assets that may have been omitted from bankruptcy filings.
Executive Screening & Loss Prevention: Asset investigations serve as a tool in pre-employment screening for management and in uncovering internal fraud. Discrepancies between an employee’s known income and their lifestyle are often indicators of potential theft or embezzlement.
Market Intelligence: Researching the financial footprint of competitors in new or existing markets.
The Role of Professional Investigation
Discovering deliberately hidden assets is often described as an art. When wealth is strategically shielded, success requires the skill of seasoned professionals who understand the intricate methods used to obscure ownership.
Ranno Investigative Services, LLC provides tiered Asset Recovery investigations tailored to specific professional requirements. The details regarding the different levels of investigation are available below.
Ranno Investigative Services
50 Highland Avenue, Suite 2
Middletown, CT 06457
(800) 572-8806
Connecticut Private Investigators that conduct Insurance Fraud Investigations, Workers Comp Insurance Fraud Investigations, Liability Claims Investigations, CT Private Detectives that conduct Insurance Claims Fraud and Self Insured Large Businesses, Small Businesses, Large Corporations, Law Firms, Colleges, Government Facilities, State Agencies, Workers Compensation Commissions and the the general public. Other investigations include Personal Injury, Criminal Defense Investigations, Locating Missing Persons, Infidelity Investigations, Cheating Spouse Investigations, Witness Statement, Child Custody Investigations, GPS Rentals and much more
