Asset Search · Judgment Recovery · Nationwide Coverage
The asset search company attorneys call when the answer has to hold.
Nationwide asset searches for attorneys, judgment creditors, executors, business owners, and private clients. Empire documents real property, business interests, liens, transfers, and hidden-asset indicators through lawful discovery — then delivers a source-cited written report you can act on.
What You Receive
An investigation package built for the decision in front of you.
Every conclusion is separated from every lead. You know what the records establish, what the pattern suggests, and where additional legal discovery or fieldwork may be warranted.
Source-cited written report
Findings tied to deeds, court dockets, entity filings, UCC records, and other retrievable sources — not an unexplained database score.
Ownership and transfer map
A clear view of related people, businesses, properties, and transfers so counsel or decision-makers can see how the pieces connect.
Actionable exhibits and leads
Documents and investigative leads organized for discovery, settlement, probate, due diligence, or judgment-enforcement strategy.
Investigator briefing
A direct review of what was found, what remains unverified, and the most productive next step. Most single-subject reports arrive in 5–10 business days.
Reviewed By
Robert Kresson, Founder & Principal Investigator
Licensed Pennsylvania private investigator · Empire established 1982
Last reviewed July 28, 2026
What An Asset Investigation Is
A documented picture of what someone actually owns.
An asset investigation reconstructs a subject's holdings — real property, business interests, vehicles, judgments and liens, and the ownership relationships that connect them — from lawful sources. The work is not a database printout. It is a trained investigator working county recorders, federal and state courts, business registries, UCC filings, regulatory databases, and licensed skip-trace platforms, then cross-checking the result.
The goal is a defensible, source-cited record that counsel can evaluate for settlement negotiation, judgment enforcement, probate filings, or board-level decisions. Anything that cannot be sourced to a record is reported as a lead, not a conclusion. That is the difference between a real asset search and a discount data dump.
Which Asset Search Fits?
Three levels of work, matched to the decision.
The right scope depends on whether you need a fast screen, a defensible asset picture, or deeper analysis of suspected concealment.
| Search level | Best for | Research depth | What you receive |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic Asset Search | Initial collectability or due-diligence screening | Known-name public records, property, liens, judgments, and business affiliations | Concise source-cited findings summary |
| Full Asset Investigation | Litigation, probate, complex debt, or high-value decisions | Multi-jurisdiction records, related entities, transfers, UCCs, courts, and cross-source verification | Written report, ownership map, source documents, and investigator briefing |
| Hidden Asset Investigation | Suspected concealment, nominees, shell entities, or unexplained transfers | Everything in a full investigation plus relationship, entity, and transfer-pattern analysis | Evidence-separated report identifying verified facts, indicators, and next-step leads |
When Clients Hire An Asset Investigator
Six moments where the answer changes the strategy.
Before judgment or settlement
Knowing what a defendant actually owns shapes settlement positioning, lien strategy, and whether litigation is worth pursuing in the first place.
Post-judgment collection
A judgment without an asset record is a piece of paper. Asset discovery turns a docket entry into recoverable property, garnishable accounts, and leverage.
Probate and estate matters
When a decedent's affairs are scattered across entities, properties, and accounts, executors and beneficiaries need a documented picture before distributions.
Divorce and family law
High-asset divorces frequently involve undisclosed business interests, transferred property, and entities held in third-party names. Asset work surfaces what discovery may miss.
Due diligence and credit decisions
Before extending credit, entering a partnership, or buying a business, an asset and liability picture reveals litigation exposure, liens, and ownership reality.
Fraud and concealment
When money or property has moved in ways that do not add up, structured asset intelligence documents the transfer pattern.
What An Asset Search Surfaces
The categories that matter to counsel.
Real Property
Recorded ownership, transfers, mortgages, liens, and parcel-level records across counties and states.
Business Interests
LLCs, partnerships, corporations, assumed names, and beneficial ownership relationships.
Judgments, Liens, UCCs
Civil judgments, federal and state tax liens, UCC-1 filings, and financial-pressure indicators.
Court and Litigation History
Civil, criminal, bankruptcy, and probate filings that contextualize current claims.
Multi-State Coverage
Public-records depth in all 50 states, federal court systems, and most U.S. territories.
Transfer and Concealment Patterns
Property reconveyances, entity shuffles, and affiliate moves that may indicate asset protection or concealment.
Our Process
From intake to written report.
01
Confidential intake
We learn the matter, the legal context, and what an answer would change. Engagements are direct with the principal or counsel — never shared, never resold.
02
Scoped investigative plan
We map jurisdictions, subjects, related entities, and the public-record surface that fits the question. You receive a written scope and flat or capped fee.
03
Lawful asset discovery
We work public records, court filings, business registries, regulatory databases, licensed skip-trace platforms, and field verification — never pretext or unauthorized data access.
04
Report and follow-through
Findings are delivered in a structured, source-cited written report prepared for counsel review, settlement strategy, or judgment-enforcement planning. We brief by phone and support follow-on work as the matter develops.
Transparent Work Product
What a source-cited asset report contains.
Every matter is confidential, so Empire does not publish client files as marketing case studies. This sample structure shows how verified records, indicators, and unresolved leads are kept separate.
01
Identity and scope
Subject identifiers, jurisdictions searched, date range, and the precise question the report addresses.
02
Verified asset findings
Recorded property, ownership interests, liens, judgments, UCC filings, and source references.
03
Relationships and transfers
Entity links and transaction patterns, with facts clearly separated from investigative indicators.
04
Limits and next steps
Gaps, records that require legal process, unresolved leads, and the most productive follow-up work.
Specialized Asset Investigations
Where the asset work lives.
Hidden Asset Search
Concealed interests, undisclosed entities, and assets moved out of view.
Tracing Assets After Death
Reconstructing a decedent's holdings for executors, beneficiaries, and probate counsel.
Judgment Recovery
Turning a judgment into collectable assets — property, accounts, business income.
Commercial Asset Investigations
Business-to-business asset work for credit, litigation, and M&A decisions.
Bank Account Search
Lawful financial account discovery for judgment creditors and litigation.
Nationwide Asset Search
Full multi-state and federal coverage for cross-jurisdiction matters.
Asset Locator Services
End-to-end identification and documentation of subject assets.
Service Area
Pittsburgh based. Nationwide reach.
Empire Investigation is headquartered in Pittsburgh and regularly supports asset matters across Allegheny County, Western Pennsylvania, and the surrounding multi-state region. Searches can expand across the United States when property, entities, litigation, or transfers cross jurisdictional lines.
National work combines federal, state, and county records with a vetted network of appropriately licensed investigators when local field verification is required. The report identifies which sources were checked and where further legal process may be needed.
View Pittsburgh service informationLawful Methods Only
What Empire will not do.
Federal law restricts how account-level financial information can be obtained. Empire does not use pretext calls to banks, brokerages, or other financial institutions. We do not access protected consumer data outside permissible-purpose categories under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. We do not promise to find specific accounts or guarantee that concealed assets exist.
The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act prohibits obtaining customer information from financial institutions by false pretenses. Empire instead builds a documented picture from lawful records and clearly labels what is verified, what is an indicator, and what requires further legal process.
Frequently Asked
Questions counsel and clients ask before they call.
What is an asset search company?
An asset search company is a licensed investigative firm that locates and documents assets — real property, business interests, vehicles, ownership relationships, and financial footprints — using public records, court filings, regulatory databases, and licensed skip-trace tools. Empire Investigation has performed asset work for attorneys, judgment creditors, executors, and private clients since 1982.
When should someone hire an asset investigator?
The most common moments are before filing or settling litigation, during judgment recovery, after a death when assets are unaccounted for, during a high-asset divorce, before partnering with or extending credit to a person or company, and when a debtor or counterparty appears to be concealing interests.
Can a private investigator access bank account information?
Federal law restricts pretexting and access to protected financial information. Empire does not use illegal pretext calls or unauthorized data access. Lawful financial-asset discovery is built from public-record evidence, deposition leads, judgment debtor examinations, UCC filings, and court-supervised disclosure that can support counsel's collection strategy.
How long does an asset search take?
Most single-subject asset searches return a written report in 5 to 10 business days. Multi-jurisdiction, business-entity, or post-judgment recovery investigations involving cross-referenced ownership structures typically run two to four weeks. Empire scopes timelines during the confidential consultation.
How much does an asset search cost?
Empire scopes most asset searches as a flat or capped fee after a confidential intake. Cost depends on the number of subjects, jurisdictions, related entities, and the depth of source documentation required. You receive the scope, fee structure, and expected timeline before work begins.
What information is needed to begin an asset search?
A full legal name and one reliable identifier, such as a date of birth, prior address, known company, or case number, is usually enough to scope the investigation. Existing pleadings, judgments, disclosures, and known entity names can make the search more precise but are not required for the first call.
Do you work nationwide?
Yes. Empire is headquartered in Pittsburgh and conducts asset investigations throughout the United States, drawing on national public-records platforms, state and county recorders, federal court records, business registries, and a vetted network of licensed investigators in other jurisdictions when on-the-ground work is required.
Will the subject know they are being investigated?
Asset searches are document-driven and confidential. The subject is not contacted, surveilled, or notified unless a client specifically requests an investigative interview as a separate scope of work. Findings are delivered only to the engaging client or their counsel.
Confidential Asset Review
Tell us what you need to know before the next decision.
A confidential asset-search consultation with Empire — direct, no obligation, and preselected for asset investigations.
Time-sensitive matter? Our 24/7 line is answered live — confidential callbacks.
Prefer to call? (800) 860-6068 · Licensed · Bonded · Established 1982