In many states, fictitious business name statements are called "doing business as" or "assumed names" filings. When a person, partnership, corporation or some legal entity uses another name, it is required to publish the names of the true owners. These records are found free at the Secretary of State's office or at local government offices. Some states put them on the Web for free. They are usually available from fee-based services as well.
You will find some of the best information about people in property records - if the person you are investigating is a property owner. Property records are divided into two major categories:
According to BRB Publications, property records one of the fastest growing categories of freely accessible records on the Internet. Most likely you will find them at county or city level sites. The assessor's records are updated annually and generally searchable up to five different ways - by name, property address, legal description, file number issued, or physical location. The file will likely refer to the property deed on file at the recorder's office, so it makes sense to visit the assessor first. The assessor will have fairly current information about the physical property, buildings on the property, its value and the billing name and address of the taxpayer, usually the owner, but not always.
The recorder has a completely different job: to keep copies of important documents so that no one will alter them. It is important to understand this distinction. The recorder does not care about the contents of the document or, for that matter, whether the seller even owned the property in the first place as long as the signature is real. The assessor, on the other hand, does not care who owns the property as long as someone receives the tax bill.
Online commercial services index assessor information for nearly the whole country. Companies like DataQuick and IQ DATA Systems sell real estate information online. Some companies, such as KnowX, a ChoicePoint company geared to consumers, provide real estate assessor and recorder information on the Web for a fee. Many companies are moving toward offering web-based access to this information. IAAO, the International Association of Assessing Officers, is the trade organization and education arm for the various tax assessors across the world. While IAAO does not offer property records, you can find someone who might be able to help you locate a particular record quickly if you canmot find it online.
UCC filings are to personal property what mortgages are to real property. UCC filings are used to record liens in financing transactions such as equipment loans, leases, inventory loans, and accounts receivable financing. They are in the category of financial records that must be fully open to public scrutiny so potential lenders are given notice about which assets of the borrower have been pledged. Lenders usually receive some kind of collateral when they lend money, and UCC filings can help identify both parties and their assets. Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) recordings are filed either at the state or county level, according to each state's law. Some states require dual filing.
States that offer online access to corporation records generally put the lien records online as well. There is less likelihood of finding this information online at the local government level, where private companies compete to obtain and offer access. A number of private companies have created their own databases for commercial resale. As with tax liens, this is a very competitive arena. There are several nationwide commercial databases available, like LexisNexis and ChoicePoint, as well as strong regionally-focused companies like Superior Online and Open Online.
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Note: This article was sent to us by: Charlie W. Mysen at 09012010
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