Last week we discussed several types of tax liens often filed against individuals and businesses. Another form of a lien commonly filed is the Mechanic's Lien. A Mechanic's Lien is not necessarily an adverse filing, but under certain circumstances can suggest that a property owner has refused to pay a contractor for services rendered.
Read MoreTax Liens
Tax liens are a useful resource for conducting public records research on a potential business partner, company or a political figure. For the potential investor, a tax lien can serve as a warning sign of deeper underlying financial problems. Additionally, many forms of tax liens qualify as secured creditors in bankruptcy proceedings, meaning paying the lien will take precedence over an investor's claim if the company were to seek Bankruptcy Court protection. For political figures, the existence of a tax lien can make them vulnerable to arguments that they are not meeting their civic obligations and are hurting the institutions funded by the unpaid taxes; such as schools, police or fire departments.
Read MoreDistinguishing Membership in a Professional Organization from a Professional Credential
Ron Lieber's recent "Your Money" column made a good point about the difference between a "credential" and a membership in a professional organization. Lieber's point concerned members of the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors but it could relate to any of the thousands of professional organizations that exist.
Read MoreBritish Parliament Expense Reports Released Online, but Redacted
This week, the British Parliament published expense reports for its members online in response to an extensive court and legislative battle originating from a five-year-old Freedom of Information request. The records made available by Parliament are redacted versions of expense reports that had been leaked last month to the Daily Telegraph, resulting in the recent scandal that has shaken up British government.
Read MoreThe Carpetbagger’s Dilemma: Verifying Residency with Public Records
When an elected official, candidate or other public figure claims to reside in one place but actually resides elsewhere, they become vulnerable to allegations of carpetbagging, potentially resulting in disqualification to hold an elected office or other legal consequences. Two recent instances of suspected carbetbagging illustrate the ways in which public records can be used to demonstrate how a person does not actually reside at their claimed residence.
Read MoreFictitious Business Registrations
In our previous post we described some of the information that can be gained from Articles of Incorporation. Some companies which are not registered as corporations with the Secretary of State may instead be registered as a Fictitious Business.
Read MoreBritish Enlist Inventor of World Wide Web to Increase Transparency of Government Data on the Internet
Following the recent expenses scandal that has shaken up British Parliament, this week Prime Minister Gordon Brown has appointed World Wide Web creator Sir Tim Berners-Lee to help make British government data more Internet accessible to the public over the next few months.
Read MoreCorporate Records
Corporate records, such as Articles of Incorporation and Annual Reports, can be a powerful tool to verify a company's existence and good standing, identify conflicts of interest, learn about a subject's potential wealth, or verify resume claims.
Read MoreUsing Consumer Product Safety Records to Vet a Business
When vetting a company or business that manufactures a product, one important resource is to submit a FOIA request to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) for any complaints related to the company. While the CPSC provides some statistics and general information online, more specific inquiries must be done on a case-by-case basis.
Read MoreText Messages: Technology Necessitates Reassessment of What Qualifies as a Public Record
Most documents are unquestionably public records; however, electronic messages are more intangible and thus more difficult to categorize as public records. Elected and appointed officials' increasing reliance on e-mail and text messages for communication requires defining the extent to which these are public records.
Read MoreThe British Parliament Expenses Scandal: A Comparative Lesson in Freedom of Information Laws
The political scandal currently unfolding in Britain, in which numerous Members of Parliament have secretly billed taxpayers for reimbursement of their personal expenses, highlights the different approaches to Freedom of Information laws on opposite sides of the Atlantic. And interestingly, these records might not have been made public were it not for the efforts of an American journalist.
Read MoreLearn About Competitors' Prices and Business Practices by Requesting Government Contracts
Business owners can use public records requests to learn typically hard-to-find details about their competitors' prices and business practices by requesting contracts and purchase orders whenever a competitor does business with a government agency (municipal, county, state or federal).
Read More