Memberships
Our Expertise & Services:
Asset Search
Background Check
Cohabitation Investigations
Criminal Defense
Electronic "Bug" Sweeps
Estates & Wills
Expert Witness Evaluations
Foreclosure Investigations
Franchisor Validations
Identity Theft Investigation
Insurance Defense
Plaintiff & Civil Investigations
Research –Database/Internet
Missing Persons
Surveillance
Asset Search
Background Check
Cohabitation Investigations
Criminal Defense
Electronic "Bug" Sweeps
Estates & Wills
Expert Witness Evaluations
Foreclosure Investigations
Franchisor Validations
Identity Theft Investigation
Insurance Defense
Plaintiff & Civil Investigations
Research –Database/Internet
Missing Persons
Surveillance
Franchisor Validations
We Have the Resources, so YOU Have the Resources!
Alexander Toia & Company subscribes to numerous commercial databases specifically designed for Private Investigators, Law Enforcement, Research Professionals, Attorneys, Paralegals, and Insurance Companies. We also maintain a vast network of outside legal service and resource contractors that assist with particularly difficult assignments anywhere in the nation and beyond its borders.
Franchisor Validations for Fortune 500/1000 Corporations
- Competitive Intelligence
- Franchisee Contract Compliance
- Illegal activities
- Pre-Employment & Executive Background Investigations
Periodically, franchisees do not honor the agreement and try to increase their revenues by improperly registering students, or not reporting them at all. As a result, the parent company is unaware that a child has signed up for its program and loses the profit. On other occasions, an unscrupulous franchisee might allow a friend, relative, or competing educational company to use or rent the trademarked educational manuals. Non-approved testing programs might also be offered without consent, also in violation of the contract. The franchisee is restricted to location, which must be approved. To circumvent this responsibility, some independent owners divert groups of students to their homes, where private instruction is unreported. Liability and safety issues become a concern. The number of students that are permitted in each class must be monitored in order to maintain acceptable ratios between teacher and child. As you can see, a myriad of problems can arise. When the parent company suspects a potential infraction, its Legal Department needs to identify and resolve the issue quickly. And that means investigation.
When a company has centers in every jurisdiction of the country, where does it go to find qualified professional investigative assistance? It comes to Alexander Toia & Company. Initially, an attorney or paralegal from the legal department calls to discuss the case. We review the allegations, establish a plan, and conduct all preliminary work from the office in order to get a better view of what is happening at the site in question. Once more intelligence has been established, ATC assigns and supervises local field detectives to conduct the street level investigation or establish surveillance. ATC is responsible for all aspects of the job: collecting retainers, paying the sub contractor fees, coordinating investigative activities, communicating with lawyers, and submitting reports.
Our management of the case relieves the parent company of all aspects of the investigation process, especially, having to find a local investigator whenever a situation arises. And they occur more often than one would expect. Because of our organizational and management skills, and successful work in this area the past 15 years, the client knows where to go to get its jobs done right. We have the contacts and resources wherever an investigation is needed. This work has enabled us to build an strong network of reputable investigators in almost every jurisdiction of the United States.
SAMPLE CASE:
Suspicion of Contract Violation:
A national franchisor client received a tip from a regional office that one of its franchisees was suspected of not fully complying with the terms of its contract. In addition to the sale of the franchisor’s products, it was also selling “knock-off products” at greatly reduced discounts. The biggest infraction dealt with its offering a non-authorized college prep course in the center location. Students flocked to take the course, which was not reported to the parent company. Not only was time lost to the center’s regular program, the franchise owner raked in big profits that were not shared with her franchisor.
Having confirmed this practice through our office research, we hired a Fort Worth, Texas detective agency to pose as students and parents and enroll in the classes. Hidden cameras and recording devices, along with original non-approved course materials were obtained over the course of several weeks. This practice was not only exposed, but the investigation results were also used in court to terminate the contract, obtain full reimbursement of financial loss, and prosecute the offender for deceptive business practices and theft of almost $200,000.
