Guide · Asset tracing
Asset tracing in the UK: what public records can tell you
Winning a judgment means little if the debtor has nothing to pay with. Investigators run an asset check first. These are the lawful public sources they start with.
01Property ownership
HM Land Registry title registers show who owns a property in England and Wales, for a small fee.
- ✓Owner name and any mortgage lender
- ✓Property bought or sold recently
02Company shareholdings and directorships
Shares and directorships can be assets, and show where money may have moved.
- ✓Persons with significant control
- ✓New companies formed after the debt arose
03Secured lending
Charges registered against a company show which lenders already have first claim.
- ✓Outstanding charges
- ✓Recent charges in favour of connected people
04Insolvency and existing judgments
Other creditors may be ahead of you.
- ✓Gazette notices
- ✓Other CCJs against the same debtor
05Signs of asset moving
Transfers to family, dissolving a company with debts, or a phoenix company trading under a similar name are classic warning signs.
- ✓Property transferred to a spouse
- ✓A similar company name at the same address
06Use court tools
After judgment, a court can order the debtor to disclose their finances.
- ✓Order to obtain information
- ✓Charging order over property
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AI Private Eye follows these same investigator checks and drafts a cited dossier with confidence ratings. Findings are AI-generated leads, so confirm the important points on the official records above.
General information, not legal advice. More guides