A trip out of the office.

Off to Namibia tomorrow for some work sun sea sand and… well more sand. Hot dry and quiet. Had to go anyway but have a client now that needs a photograph of a building to make sure it is there.

Now you would think that it would be relatively easy to confirm whether a building is where it is supposed to be. We have however had a case in the past where a client was paying warehousing fees in Lebanon. The warehouse was empty due to the political climate in the country and the high risk of lead poisoning.

We had an agent go around to find that the warehouse had gone. Well it hadn’t actually gone, it was more a case of it having been reduced to its component parts. This was a bit of an irritation to our client particularly since we confirmed he had been paying substantial rent on a pile of twisted metal, burned timbers only to house a sizeable collection of rodents for nearly a year.

Anyway, time to get packed.

A service you may not associate with PIs

Neighborhood screening is a service that many people regret not having made use of after moving in to a newly rented property or purchased property. That regret is compounded by the fact that having one completed is nothing in terms of cost compared to what you will be paying over the coming years.

When do most people view a property? Midweek or the weekend usually in daylight. When everyone is at work and life seems tranquil.

It is not just the problem of neighbours from hell. Security issues, local refuse collection, schooling, impending local planning of road expansions or liquor licenses and mass of other considerations all play a part in your happiness after moving in.

A typical neighborhood enquiry involves a physical presence in the area over several days at differing times Morning noon and night), interviewing local residents, visitors, shop keepers, tradesmen and police.

A typical report will include a detailed run down of all these points backed up with photographic support.

You could do it yourself but do you really have the time and resources to so?

Although the scope of such enquiries can on occasion be limitless, the sort of questions that are commonly asked include:

What reputation does the local municipal authority have for maintaining the local area?

How transient is the area, are neighbours / tenants moving in and out a little too regularly?

What happens late each Friday and Saturday night? Are the police regular visitors to your neighbours? What do the local shopkeepers think of the area?

What does the local press have to say? What articles have they published regarding the area (you would be surprised what a great resource the local free newspaper can be).

In areas with roving security what do residents think of the company responsible for this? What have locals got to say about break-ins and other security issues?

What about local schools? What do mums have say about their children’s experiences there and in the local area?

What is that bar or club around the corner like at closing time?

In summary a detailed independent report by an investigator that knows what to look for and takes consideration of your particular requirements or interests can save an awful lot of heart ache and hard earned cash.

Misery is an option not something imposed

There are a lot of people out there telling us how to improve our lives. The basic premise of such books and articles is that your life is not what it should be. Ambition is one thing, and a healthy thing. To strive for improvement does not however mean that things are currently in bad shape.

My solution, read “IF” by Rudyard Kipling. (Google it, then live it). But in an attempt to be a little topical here are Colin Powell’s suggestions for making life easy.

1. It ain't as bad as you think. It will look better in the morning.

2. Get mad, then get over it.

3. Avoid having your ego so close to your position that when your position falls, your ego goes with it.

4. It can be done!

5. Be careful what you choose. You may get it.

6. Don't let adverse facts stand in the way of a good decision.

7. You can't make someone else's choices. You shouldn't let someone else make yours.

8. Check small things.

9. Share credit.

10. Remain calm. Be kind.

11. Have a vision. Be demanding.

12. Don't take counsel of your fears or naysayers.

13. Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier.

Current case list:

Find the boat, attempt to figure out why the two airplanes were purchased in the manner they wore and back up the conclusions, locate the professor, do a bio of a clients potential business partner, see whether the factory is actually in the process of being built, find out where the oil went, find the insolvent foreigner in South Africa so we can tell him all is not lost (money coming his way) see whether the Israeli scamster is still in South Africa and try to locate victims.

Today is figuring out to be busy.

A day in the life of…

I wake up in my luxury pad on a beautiful island retreat, jump in to my Ferrari, meet up with a supermodel client, accept a tasking that requires the use of much fast driving, a tree top helicopter ride, often with the CIA in pursuit, get shot a few times and…

Actually that’s not what happens as a rule. Its far more mundane and to be sometimes a tad geekish. Wake up in my small house in a kinda nice area, put the coffee on, shower, check emails and start on a research job for a client wanting to buy a manufacturing facility in West Africa. He needs to know about competition in the area, together with political and reputational risk.

Spend some time speaking with our partner in the area. (Note to self: purchase a long piece of string and get two tin cans for the purpose of better sound quality in our calls to him)

Look at the case of the missing US professor. Personally I think he is dead. All the other bases have been covered and he was not the type to take care of himself. Call the US Embassy and tackle their number menus. Ask why can’t there be an option “for bi-polar, self medicated, itinerant professors who have walked away from their known world and decided to hobo it around South Africa press 4.” Speak to a vey nice lady that will look up past US deaths and repatriation in South Africa and keep me appraised of future one fitting the professor’s profile.

Call up a client wanting work done in the BVI and bother them to give me the job! Have a “yes I know its expensive but that’s what it costs and I have itemized it for you” type conversation.

More coffee. Walk to my PO box to pick up mail. No work, no letters from friends just invoices, some flyers and something called a parktown prawn. Imagine half cricket half roach and all nastyness. (the single most hideous bug on the face of the planet! Almost impossible to kill but this one is dead. Not something I will choose to investigate. I’ll just be grateful that there is one less of them.

Get back and have a case in my email regarding a lady in the UK who is getting married but has not yet got the final pieces of divorce paperwork from her ex husband who has seemingly vanished. Hmmm could be inconvenient, she is getting married in two weeks. How can you not know that your divorce was not finalised? Never mind I’ll get on to it later after checking its not a potential stalking or otherwise dubious matter.

Send emails to contacts. Call sources chasing up information for leads and hopefully conclusions.

Do invoicing (jeez I hate accounts and thank heaven each day that my bookkeeper / accounts wakes each morning saying “oh goody another excel spreadsheet and unbalanced set of books)

Coffee, change in to smart cloths and off to meet a chap who believes his partner is being unfaithful. I don’t do domestic matters but its for a friend so I give advice and details of a colleague that can help. (Quick tip dear reader, if after a period of one year you think your partner is being unfaithful then there is a 99% chance you are correct. Sad but true)

Back to the office, trace work, report writing coffee and more calls.

Sign off and relax for the day.

At home the laptop speakers are on full so that I hear the “bing bong” of incoming mail and messages. Some might be urgent and need a quick answer. Watch news from around the world and consider something supper shaped.

That’s it, it aint Magnum, more lifestyles of the poor and infamous but I love it.

Introduction

Welcome to my Blog.

So what will you find here? Jeez I’m not too sure, I have an unconventional life and an often bizarre job. There will be background regarding what a PI does, random thoughts and observations, a bit of background on cases we are working, there may be something to make you laugh, think or simply enjoy. Some articles will be long some just a snap shot written on the move.

I hope you find something to attract your attention and invite you to comment on anything you feel the need to.