Frequently Asked Questions

How much does your service cost?
If you choose to hire me, there is a $1,500 retainer. My fee for private investigative work is $75 per hour and $1.00 per mile driven. Any court testimony is also subject to the hourly rate. For evictions, there is only a flat fee of $100, which includes posting the 48-hour notice and my services at the time of the eviction for one hour.

Can evidence of infidelity be used in court?
Evidence of infidelity is totally inadmissible in court in the State of Indiana. If you suspect your partner of cheating, but are having trouble proving it, we can help. But any evidence we gather for you will just be for your own personal benefit.

What legal steps do I need to follow to evict a tenant?

1. Provide notice to the tenant. The landlord must issue a written “10 Day Notice To Quit Or Move Out”.
2. File a complaint. If the tenant(s) do not move out in response to the notice, the landlord, either on their own (pro se) or with an attorney, can file a complaint at the clerk’s office outlining reason the tenant(s) should be evicted.
3. Serve the tenant with the summons and complaint. This informs the tenant when and where to be to court.
4. Attend court hearing.
5. Enforcement of eviction. If the landlord is successful, the court will enter an Order of Ejectment declaring on what date the landlord may have the order executed. At least two days prior that date, the executing officer will post an orange or yellow colored document onto the front of the building in a conspicuous location. The document will display “EVICTION NOTICE” in large bold font at the top. There will also be a statement advising the occupants that a court has entered the “Order of Ejectment” and that they have 48 hours to vacate, or they may be forcibly removed without further notice.

How long does it take to evict a tenant?
From beginning to end the process takes approximately 10 to 21 days.

Can I evict a tenant for consistently paying rent late, even if they eventually catch up?
The landlord may initiate eviction process any time the tenant violates the lease agreement. Evictions may be justified for a variety of causes other than late payment of rent, such as but not limited to creating disturbances, being a nuisance and/or ordinance violations, criminal activity and destruction of property etc.

What happens if the tenant refuses to leave after the eviction notice is served?
The tenant may be forcibly removed either by the executing officer or a member of law enforcement. If the tenant is directed to leave the property and fails to do so, they are subject to arrest for Criminal Trespassing.

Am I allowed to change the locks or shut off utilities if the tenant is in breach of contract?
No. You may not change locks or disconnect utilities until an order is issued by a court.

Important things to remember

If we took your case on a retainer basis at an hourly rate, plus expenses, but your total bill did not exceed or use the entire retainer; you will receive a refund for the difference. If we took your case on a flat fee basis and have completed the assignment, you will owe no balance, and will receive no refund.

When you hire a private investigator, completion of an assignment may not always give you the result you hoped for. For example: you hire us to perform surveillance on an individual because you believe they are engaging in a certain activity. Then during surveillance we do not observe them engaging in the activity you suspected, we will provide you with the appropriate report (orally or written) documenting surveillance. Our assignment is completed.

Confidentiality is an essential element of the work we do. If you hire us as to perform an investigation for you, it an absolute condition of our relationship that we not disclose to anyone that you have hired us.

It is equally as important for you to refrain from disclosing to anyone that you have hired us. For example: you hire us to investigate a significant other, and then you inform them that you have hired a private investigator. You have compromised not only the safety of the investigator, but also the integrity of the investigation.

During some investigations it is possible that subjects may discover that we are performing surveillance, or making other types of inquiries about them. This is an inherent part of performing investigative work. We will make every effort to avoid being detected, or otherwise involved, but sometimes it cannot be avoided. People engaging in illegal, illicit, unfaithful, or deceitful activity are often themselves conducting “counter-surveillance” because of the very nature of their conduct. If we are detected during the course of an investigation, this does not void or terminate our agreement.

Note: On occasion we may have to disclose the existence of a conflict of interest between clients. When a conflict exists between competing firms or entities on the same case, we will give preference to the firm who retained us on that case first. The other party will be notified immediately of the conflict and our withdrawal from that case.