No pretext canvass
Our investigators identify themselves on request, every time, without exception.
SCENE & NEIGHBORHOOD CANVASS
Find the witnesses before the record disappears.
A separately scoped witness-and-camera canvass with identification discipline, announced recording, corroboration controls, and rapid preservation requests for volatile third-party video.
AVAILABILITYLicensed jurisdictions provided on request.
MODLAN Systems, Inc. performs regulated investigative services only in jurisdictions where it holds the required licences. Inquiries from other jurisdictions are referred.
WHEN THIS IS THE RIGHT ENGAGEMENT
Where it fits
- A fresh loss may have witnesses who have not been identified.
- Doorbell, business, traffic, or residential cameras may have short overwrite windows.
- Conflicting accounts require independent factual development.
- The client needs a contact/refusal record that can be reconstructed later.
MODLAN STANDARDS
How we work
These apply to every engagement, in every jurisdiction.
- Recorded consent, everywhereWe obtain recorded consent from every party to every recorded statement, in every jurisdiction, regardless of which state rule applies.
- Lawful vantageObservation is conducted from publicly accessible vantage points. We do not enter private property, observe into areas where privacy is reasonably expected, or place concealed or unattended recording devices.
- No pretextInvestigators identify themselves where identification is appropriate. We do not use fictitious identities, misrepresent our purpose, or obtain information under false pretences.
- Documented permissible useInformation from restricted sources is accessed only for the permitted purpose of the matter it was obtained for, and that purpose is documented for every search.
- Represented partiesWhere a party is represented, we proceed only on documented instruction from counsel.
- Aerial for property, not peopleAerial documentation is used for property, scene, and loss documentation. We do not use aircraft to observe individuals.
- Public sources, unauthenticatedDigital collection is performed from publicly accessible sources without logging in to any account.
YOUR GUIDELINESScope, coverage, reporting format, documentation requirements, and turnaround are performed to your guidelines and the assignment instructions for each matter. Requirements differ by carrier and by jurisdiction, and we work to yours.
WITNESS + VIDEO CLOCK
People and cameras disappear on a different clock.
Recorder overwrite windows commonly run from about twenty-four hours. Video is dispatched on its own clock, not on the scene clock, because a single blended turnaround is how footage is lost.
Announce every recording
Every recording is announced on the recording, and affirmative consent is captured as an audible yes.
Preserve the source quickly
We identify camera sources, issue same-day preservation requests, and acquire footage where the owner consents.
Adverse statements need support
Adverse information from an interview with a third party is reported only where it is corroborated by an independent source with direct knowledge, or where the interviewee is the best available source and the report says why.
WHAT YOU RECEIVE
The deliverable
- Canvass log with addresses/areas attempted, contacts, refusals, and outcomes.
- Witness information and recorded statements where voluntarily provided and properly consented.
- Camera-source inventory, preservation-request record, and acquired footage where the owner consents.
- Corroboration state for material adverse third-party information.
WHAT WE DO NOT DO
- Use a fictitious identity, badge, or government implication.
- Record without announcing and obtaining affirmative consent.
- Enter posted or controlled-access property beyond ordinary lawful approach.
- Represent voluntary third-party video as something MODLAN can compel.
- Obtain information under a false identity or false pretences.
- Enter private property or observe into areas where privacy is reasonably expected.
- Contact a represented party except on documented instruction from counsel.
- Guarantee that any item will be admitted by a court.
QUESTIONS
Common questions
Do investigators identify themselves?
Yes. MODLAN does not sell a covert or pretext canvass. Identity and purpose are disclosed on request, and recordings are announced.
Can you compel a neighbor or business to provide video?
No. We identify sources, request preservation promptly, and acquire footage where the custodian voluntarily consents or other lawful authority exists.
Why is this separate from scene investigation?
Because witness contact, recording, privacy, representation, and corroboration rules are different from physical scene documentation. A combined dispatch can coordinate both without merging their controls.
What happens to an uncorroborated adverse statement?
It is not silently elevated into a report finding. The report records the source and the applicable corroboration status under the engagement rules.
CONTROLLED INTAKE
Discuss the assignment without transmitting sensitive evidence.
Public consultation channels are for business-purpose intake only. Claim files, medical records, credentials, claimant-identifying data, and evidence belong in an approved secure workflow.