Asset Tracing in Russia

A creditor can find a Russian debtor's property through public registers, the bailiff service and court orders. Company holdings and directorships are open to anyone. Real estate, vehicles and bank accounts are harder to see directly, and access to them usually comes after you hold a court judgment or through interim measures.

Attorney Elena Petrova plans asset searches for foreign creditors, including clients in California who won a judgment or are about to sue. The goal is to know what can be seized before spending on litigation.

What the EGRN and EGRUL Registers Reveal

The Unified State Register of Legal Entities (EGRUL) is public. A search by an individual's taxpayer number or name shows the companies where the debtor is a founder or director, their addresses, charter capital and current status. It also shows whether a company is being liquidated or reorganised, which often signals an attempt to move assets.

The real estate register (EGRN) works differently. Anyone can order an extract on a specific property by its address or cadastral number and see encumbrances. However, the owner's personal data is not disclosed to third parties without consent. A list of everything a person owns across Russia is available to that person, to courts, bailiffs and notaries, not to a private creditor.

Other Registers Worth Checking

Other lawsuits are a useful lead. If someone sued the debtor over a lease or a vehicle, the case file may name the property.

Using Bailiff Service Data

The Federal Bailiff Service (FSSP) keeps a public databank of enforcement proceedings. A search by name or company shows open cases, the amounts and the bailiff in charge. Many open proceedings mean competing creditors and a debtor who may already be stripped of liquid assets.

Once you have a writ of execution, the bailiff sends inquiries to the tax service, banks, the traffic police, the real estate register and the pension fund. You can ask the bailiff to make specific inquiries and to review the answers. Writing to the bailiff with concrete leads speeds the process considerably.

Court Tools Before and During Trial

A court may impose interim measures when a claim is filed or earlier, such as freezing real estate, shares or funds up to the claim amount. The application must show a real risk that the debtor will hide or transfer assets. Evidence found through registers supports that request.

During the case, you can also ask the court to request documents from third parties, for example a bank or a registry, when you cannot obtain them yourself.

Reaching Bank Accounts

Bank secrecy protects account data from private requests. A creditor with a writ may present it directly to the debtor's bank, which must debit the funds. If you do not know the bank, the bailiff obtains the list of accounts from the tax service.

In bankruptcy, the financial manager gains broad access to account histories and can challenge transfers made before the case was opened.

Building a Tracing Strategy

1. Run the public searches before filing suit.
2. Apply for interim measures together with the claim.
3. Obtain the writ quickly and file it with the bailiff and known banks.
4. Supply the bailiff with leads and monitor progress.
5. Consider bankruptcy where assets appear to have been moved.

Starting an Asset Search

Send the debtor's name, taxpayer number if known and the judgment or claim documents. We will outline what can be found and in what order.

The main channel of communication with the attorney is email: attorneypetrova1@gmail.com.