Everything you didn’t know about the world of PI!

Hands-up who thinks of “Magnum” or “Jessica Fletcher” ... even good old “Poirot” (complete with perfect moustache and mincing steps!) when they hear the word “PI”?

The private investigation industry is synonymous with television and literary characters, probably due to the intrigue and secretive nature of the business. However, the truth of the matter is that private investigation was conceived of in the mid nineteenth century, and is utilised by many different professions and individuals to provide services and information on a wide-range of issues.

One of the first known PI agencies was founded by Eugène François Vidocq, a French soldier. Vidocq is credited with having introduced record-keeping, criminology and ballistics to criminal investigation; along with creating indelible ink and unalterable bond paper. Vidocq’s career was almost curtailed entirely when he was arrested on charges of unlawful imprisonment, among other things, in 1842. However, he successfully appealed the sentence and was released, having created a platform for a brand-new industry.

In 1850, the Pinkerton National Detective Agency was established in the USA by Allan Pinkerton, becoming famous when the agency foiled a plot to assassinate then President- Elect Abraham Lincoln. There have been some claims to suggest that, at one point, Pinkerton employed more agents than the USA army.

Pinkerton agents were hired to track western outlaws Jesse James, the Reno brothers and the Wild Bunch, including Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. In fact, they also inspired the term “private eye” with their logo – an eye embellished with the words “we never sleep”.

While there are obvious tasks involved in PI work; there are also many types of job which the public would not normally associate with a PI. Often a PI will be responsible for carrying out process-serving for the legal profession, background-checking an individual, tracing (of various types) and investigation of spurious insurance claims.

The role of a PI is a varied one; and as such it attracts a diverse audience to its career-path. Nowadays PIs prefer to be known as “professional investigators” as opposed to “private investigators” or “private detectives” – in response to the image that is sometimes attributed to the profession and an effort to establish and demonstrate the industry as a proper and respectable profession.

Do you have a query we could help you with? Please feel free to contact Bluemoon Investigations for a no-obligation consultation 01 2311033 or info@bluemooninvestigations.ie

Big Sister becomes Big Brother

Bluemoon Investigations evolved when its sister company, a financial institution, dealing exclusively with corporate clients, established an in-house team, to deal specifically with investigating the circumstances of defaulting clients.

Whilst some business had genuine cash-flow problems (we’re talking well before the current economic downturn and recession), others cited this as a reason, with no justifiable reason to do so. Perhaps comfortable in the knowledge that the expensive and protracted legal process of pursuing debtors through the courts, at the very least bought them time, and at best would result in the loan being written off by the creditor. Unfortunately some creditors, especially during the so called Celtic Tiger years, took the view that recovering the debt, was simply not worth the hassle or time, when they could be chasing new business. This approach compounded the problem for other creditors.

Therefore Bluemoons big sister became big brother and began to look into the financial position of not just the debtor in question but also the Directors who had provided personal guarantee’s. Armed with this knowledge the business could then prioritise the debtors it needed to vigorously pursue through legal channels.

There is no doubt that whilst more recently the economic conditions has led to an increase in defaulting debtors, it has also led to an increase in the number of debtors alluding to these circumstances as a convenient way to hold on to their cash. Bluemoon’s investigations led to some startling discoveries. In approximately 90% of cases where Directors metaphorically stuck up the two fingers, it transpired that their lifestyles did not match the poverty stricken tale of woe they pleaded. Quite often Mercedes and Jeeps littered the drives of their mansions and (requisite) holidays homes. It seems whilst these individuals are more than happy to enjoy the benefits of the boom, they now have trouble adjusting their living standards accordingly and expect their creditors to carry the can for their excesses.

Fortunately the Commercial Court is now becoming much less tolerant of this type of behaviour and it cannot be take for granted that assets previously protected such as family homes and pension plans, will continue to be afforded any protection. This is good news for Creditors.

Bluemoon Investigations now offers its services to Corporate clients, the legal profession and the general public, providing a wide range of investigative services. Annie Murphy of Bluemoon Investigations regularly engages in investigation into the backgrounds of debtors on behalf of Bluemoon’s clients. Annies advises that these “pre-sue status enquiries” are becoming increasingly popular as they provide creditors with invaluable information for a relatively modest cost. “Once the Creditor has been furnished with the facts they can make an informed decision on the action required”. Annie also welcomes the new hardline approach adopted by the courts “Creditors can be confident that when judgement is issued against the debtor and they know assets exist from which they can be repaid, the court will take these assets, if the debtor does not comply”. This sends a much needed clear message to debtors, which is long overdue”