Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What are public records?

A. Public records are the documents on file at various federal, state and county offices that are available for public inspection.

Q. What are some examples of public records?

A. UCCs, suits, judgments, tax liens, mechanics liens, bankruptcies, deeds and mortgages are all public records.

Q. How can public records help in credit evaluation?

A. By being aware of a suit or tax lien filed against a current or potential customer you can guard against unnecessary credit losses.

Q. Is there a way for me to monitor public records?

A. Yes. There are several ways to monitor public records; you can retrieve them yourself by going to courthouses and Recorder's offices, or you can purchase a bulletin of such activity from a firm that specializes in doing so.

Q. Is there such a service that provides this information?

A. Yes. Merritt Credit Bureau, Inc. has been the leader in reporting commercial public records information since 1926. Merritt is fully on-line with The MerrittTrio ™ : The Merritt History database, State of Illinois UCCs and The Weekly Merritt Intelligence Report. Go to MerrittSearch.com for more information.

Q. What information is included in Merritt's Report?

A. "The Merritt Report" includes the following public records abstracts: UCC filings, Suits, Judgments, Federal and State Tax Liens and Releases, Bankruptcies and new Illinois Incorporations. Two additional reports include mechanics liens and releases.

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