Private investigator to find someone. Anyone done this.

[bumblebee1000]

I would like to trace and find someone, its nothing unpleasant. I am making a new will and want him to be included, leave him a small sum of money. I have been advised that if he cannot be traced etc, then it would cause a lot of delays and problems when it gets to probate. This chap was a lodger in my house years ago, a student, he might have returned to Poland but its very difficult tracing in Poland due to strict privacy laws, you cannot access phone directories or electoral registers but I understand that a P. I could probably have some success. There is no trace of him on any social media and I have tried the many Polish groups in the UK.

Don't put him in your will. Try to find him, and if you do, give him some money while you are still alive. Don't use a will as your voice once you're dead. Ideally there should be no surprises in a will.

If he wanted to be in touch for any reason, he would be, especially if you've not moved so he could just write to you. Trying to find people with PI's is unhinged and the behaviour of a stalker. Clearly you're not in touch any more, he's no longer part of your life. Accept that. Don't leave him a bequest because he's not expecting it and it'll be a headache for everyone. Don't try to find him beyond asking mutual aquaintences if they're still in touch with him and googling his name to see if he's on social media so you could message through that, that's where the limit of normal behaviour ends.

You need to give their name and date of birth to locate them. Address might help too but understand difficulty now they are living in Poland .
just give them a call they will be helpful and give you info you need if you want to go ahead.

Have you tried looking on LinkedIn?

I don’t think it’s unhinged to try and trace someone to leave them a momento/cash in your will. Perhaps the Polish embassy could help?

I've read this thread before.

You don't think it's unhinged to try to trace a lodger from years ago who you've not kept in contact with to leave them a bequest?

Ok then...

I’ve used one to try to trace the (foreign origin) former owner of a flat who we were told had almost certainly returned to his home country. We wanted to buy the freehold, so had to show that we’d made every effort to find him.

The PI found him within a week! Far from being an ‘absentee freeholder’ he was living just a few miles away under another name - because of debts attached to the FH.
When I asked how they could be sure it was him, they said, ‘We have our methods.’ 😂

Yes, I was looking for him a while ago and posted here for ideas. A friend mentioned using a P.I. I have come into some money and could give it to him if I found him. He was very useful around the house and did loads of work and jobs and refused to take any money so I wanted to pass on about 5k.

I think it’s probably best to not waste money on a PI and to just have the fond memories of the lodger. As it’s been a number of years, he hasn’t stayed on contact and refused money back then too and isn’t on social media etc, I think getting a PI to chase him down might not be the best course of action