Investigative Skip Tracing & Defendant Locate Services in New York
Multi-database address verification, tenant move-out tracing, and evidentiary due-diligence documentation to locate evasive defendants and witnesses across New York.
Order Skip Tracing Online ($95–$195)Attempting service at an outdated residential apartment or dissolved commercial storefront wastes statutory time under CPLR § 306-b (which requires service of the summons and complaint within 120 days after commencement of the action). In dense multi-unit buildings across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx, defendants frequently relocate without forwarding addresses, use private mailbox storefronts (CMRA boxes), or conceal their current place of employment.
Executive Process Service integrates investigative skip tracing directly into our field workflow. When a target has vacated the address listed on the summons or lease, assigned locate specialists cross-reference proprietary credit header histories, utility activation records, New York DMV registration data (where permissible for litigation), county real property deeds (ACRIS in NYC), and corporate filing records to pinpoint a verifiable residence or workplace.
Satisfying CPLR § 308(4) & § 308(5) Judicial Due Diligence Thresholds
New York appellate courts routinely vacate default judgments when a plaintiff affixes papers to a prior address without verifying whether the defendant still resides there, or fails to check easily accessible employment and motor vehicle records. Before a plaintiff can sustain 'Nail and Mail' service under CPLR § 308(4) or petition a Supreme Court Justice for court-ordered expedient service under CPLR § 308(5) (such as service via email, social media, or delivery to an insurer), counsel must present an evidentiary record demonstrating exhaustive efforts to locate the defendant.
Our skip-tracing reports document every database query, postal forwarding check (USPS Ancillary Service Endorsement / FOIA Address Information Request), co-occupant or concierge interview, and commercial registry search so your Affirmation in Support of Alternative Service withstands judicial scrutiny.
Piercing Shell LLCs, Commercial Guarantors & Unregistered Entities
In commercial lease defaults, merchant cash advance (MCA) litigation, and construction disputes, individual personal guarantors frequently shield their residential addresses behind Delaware or New York LLCs registered to third-party mail drops. We correlate NY Department of State Biennial Statements, ACRIS mortgage and deed transfers, UCC-1 financing statements, and professional licensing boards to identify active residential dwellings and executive offices where personal service under CPLR § 308(1) or § 308(2) can be completed.
Skip Tracing Deliverables & Capabilities
- Credit header, utility hookup, and property tax / ACRIS deed cross-referencing
- Place-of-employment identification for daytime CPLR § 308(1) or § 308(2) workplace delivery
- USPS Postmaster address verification and forwarding box physical street identification
- Evidentiary Affidavits of Due Diligence formatted for CPLR § 308(5) expedient service motions
- Surrogate's Court heir and distributee locate investigations for citation service (SCPA § 307)
- Seamless transition from locate verification to field dispatch across all 62 NY counties
Skip Tracing — Statutory Q&A
- What happens if a process server discovers the defendant moved to a different New York county?
- Because New York Supreme Court process runs statewide across all 62 counties, the order can be reassigned to a process server in the newly identified county without requiring a new summons—ensuring your CPLR § 306-b 120-day service window is preserved.
- Can you prepare an Affidavit of Due Diligence for a Surrogate's Court publication motion?
- Yes. Under Surrogate's Court Procedure Act (SCPA) § 307(3), obtaining an order for service of citation by publication requires a detailed demonstration of due diligence—including database searches, voter/property records checks, and last-known-address field inquiries—which we compile into a formal sworn affidavit.
NYC Borough & Statewide County Coverage
Dispatch Skip Tracing in New York
Multi-database address verification, tenant move-out tracing, and evidentiary due-diligence documentation to locate evasive defendants and witnesses across New York.