Garland, TX asked in Civil Rights and Small Claims for Texas

Q: How can I find out someones address to file civil court case in my county

I loaned someone a large sum of money they owe remaining $1,500. I have a copy of their driver license but they no longer live there how can I find out their current address to sue them thru small claims court

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3 Lawyer Answers
James L. Arrasmith
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A: To file a small claims court case, you generally need to provide the defendant's current address for proper service of the court summons and complaint. Here are some methods you can try to find their current address:

1. Contact mutual friends, family, or acquaintances who might know the person's current whereabouts.

2. Search online directories and social media platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter to see if they have updated their contact information.

3. Use paid online people search services such as BeenVerified, Intelius, or Spokeo, which aggregate public records and can potentially provide current address information.

4. If the person is employed, try contacting their employer and ask if they can provide a current address or serve the court papers on your behalf.

5. Hire a private investigator who has access to databases and can locate the individual's current address. However, this option can be expensive.

6. If you have the person's phone number, you can try a reverse phone lookup service to see if it provides any address information.

If you exhaust these options and still cannot locate a current address, you may be able to ask the court for permission to serve the defendant through alternative means, such as publication in a newspaper. However, this is generally a last resort and requires demonstrating to the court that you have made diligent efforts to locate the individual.

Once you have the defendant's address, make sure to follow your local court's rules for properly filing and serving the small claims case to ensure your case proceeds smoothly.

John Michael Frick and Tim Akpinar agree with this answer

A: In addition to the methods described by Mr. Arrasmith, you can find out if the person has a new address with the United States Postal Service by mailing an empty envelope to the last address you have for that person with the following typed in all capital letters above the person's name on the envelope "CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED".

The envelope will come back to the return address on your envelope either with the person's new address or will notify you that the USPS does not have a new address for that person.

Tim Akpinar agrees with this answer

A: In addition to the good methods outlined by my colleagues, some process service companies handle limited investigative services such as skip tracing and related tasks. Good luck

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