Am I able to verify the address of a defendant with their landlord for court?
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Am I able to verify the address of a defendant with their landlord for court?
I am suing a customer of mine who has skipped out on their bill for our services. I just received the address verification form and I am trying to figure out what is appropriate to send in? This family filled out registration and financial forms with their address but I have no return mail with their address. I do know that they rent and I know the contact information for the landlord. Can I verify this person’s address with the landlord are they able to even give me that information? If not, what are some other applicable ways I can verify an address? This person has changed their phone numbers as well as email. The only verification that I currently have is a certified letter that was mailed to the address and accepted.
Asked on December 12, 2017 under Business Law, Massachusetts
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 6 years ago | Contributor
You can ask the landlord to verify the address: you cannot force them to do so, however. It would be voluntary for them to provide this information. If the landlord will not, all you can do is something like internet searches, or "stake out" the landlord's location to see if they do live there, or perhaps hire someone (like a P.I., an attorney specializing in collections work, or a constable) who has experience, expertise, and resources for tracking down addresses. (There are some research tools, for example, that attorneys likely have access to which can help find an address; you would most likely not have access to them, however, unless you subscribe to some online research service like Westlaw or Lexis.)
If it's not worth hiring someone to help with the case (i.e. it's for too little money), it is probably not worth spending much time or effort on pursuing.
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