1. Labor Commissioner's Office

Identifying Assets

Banking Information:

You can identify the name of the employer/defendant’s bank on the check you were paid with. If you had direct deposit, contact your bank and ask that they provide you with the name of the bank that deposited the money into your account.

Accounts Receivables:

Accounts receivables are monies received by the employer/defendant by their customer or clients. Keep note of the name and address of any major customer or client the employer/defendant has business with.

Real Estate: If the employer/defendant owns real estate, it is much more likely you will be able to recover money on your judgment. Often businesses rent the sites that they are at, in which case the real estate will not be available for judgment enforcement purposes. You may be able to determine whether the employer owns the worksite by asking other employees or looking to see if a property management company or landlord is identified on signs at the property itself. Also, if you are aware of other properties that may be owned by your employer or other liable parties, you should keep track of this information and provide it to the Labor Commissioner’s Judgment Enforcement Unit. You do not need to know the exact address, simply knowing the city, area, or even county where the real estate is located may be sufficient.   

Identifying Assets via Public Records

These are typically available to any member of the public, sometimes with certain restrictions or only under certain circumstances. Sources include: County Recorder (real estate records), Secretary of State (corporation and UCC filings), Business Licenses, Health Permits, CSLB Licenses, CDSS, BSIS, DMV, ABC, Courts.  

  • California Secretary of State - https://businesssearch.sos.ca.gov/ 

    • The California Secretary of State maintains corporation information including:

    • Status of Corporation 
    • Registration date for corporation 
    • Agent and Address for Agent to serve process, 
    • Names of corporate officers (from Statement of Information) 
    • Copies of California Uniform Commercial Code filings can be obtained here (need account): https://uccconnect.sos.ca.gov/acct/acct-login.asp 
    • You can also obtain UCC financing statements and lien records
  • Business Licenses – Some cities or counties will have records online, otherwise, records usually can be obtained from the city or county department that handles registration.
  • Contractors State License Board (“CSLB”) licenses - https://www2.cslb.ca.gov/onlineservices/CheckLicenseII/checklicense.aspx 
  • Obtain names of Defendant and addresses 
  • License status and history of other licenses 
  • Additionally, if unpaid wage judgment is reported to CSLB, can result in CSLB license being suspended. For more info: http://www.cslb.ca.gov/Consumers/Legal_Issues_For_Consumers/Civil_Judgments.aspx 
  • Google, Yelp, White Pages, etc. – Contact information for Defendant, Description of Activities, Whether Liquor is Served. 
  • California Liquor License Search (Alcohol Beverage Control) - Any business selling liquor in California is required to be licensed with the California Department of Alcohol Beverage Control. To obtain licensing information go to: https://www.abc.ca.gov/licensing/license-lookup/ 
  • County Recorder/Registrar 

    • The county registrar/recorder’s office maintains information about real estate ownership and transactions within their county. They also maintain information about fictitious business names, which are names that businesses must register if they are not using their legal name. Certain counties provide access to this information online. To obtain detailed information, you must often visit the county recorder/registrar’s office. You can find information about each county’s registrar/recorder’s office online.  

  • Court Records 

    • Court records such as records of a lawsuit the defendant was involved in can be useful information. A lawsuit can be an asset—if the employer/defendant has legal claims against others these claims are assets. Liens may be placed against them and in some case they may even be seized. Bankruptcy court records often have list of assets, income and people involved in a business. However, if your employer has filed a bankruptcy case, you may be barred from attempting to collect your wages outside of bankruptcy court. 

  • Other Licensing Agencies (city, county, state, and federal) 

    • You may be able to obtain other useful information from government agencies that grant the licenses. Examples include: Medical Boards for doctors, Department of Public Health for public hospitals,  Department of Social Services for care homes and caregiving services, Department of Transportation for trucking and transportation companies, the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services for security guard companies, and county health departments for restaurants.