This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Lawler, Lalor, Mendenhall, Bartlett, Sumner, Hatch, Gilman, Trow, Caldwell, Badger, Charles, Ludiker Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/1AC.2ACI/1726 Message Board Post: Hi fellow researchers: I’m a very active genealogist just like you are. In my daily work I use the FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) to request records from all areas of local, state and federal agencies, courts, etc. The FOIA is a tool that is available to everyone. I have discovered that it works GREAT for obtaining records that are buried in courthouses and other agencies where you get the standard answer “you have to come into the office and look it up yourself.” Wrong. But you have to know where to send it, you have to have the right form, properly worded letter, you have to know what type of information they need to find/retrieve what you are looking for. You need the statutes/codes/act for the specific state you are requesting the info from. You can’t just send in a generic "find this" request. >From one probate court FOIA request, I got 84 pages and two weeks later, 124 more pages. All stuff they copied from microfiche and very old court records. At $ .10 per page. Some of these records went back to 1838! I’ll send you the form, the specific request letter, what you need to send in terms of State codes/statutes, several examples from my own successful requests, suggestions on specifics, if you have them, or if not, where and how to find them. I have compiled a chart of each State’s statutes/codes that you must have to format the request form to your particular State. FOIA is a Title 5 National Act, but this pertains to, for instance, the Department of Justice, FBI, etc., i.e., federal agency requests. Public records are available the same way through each State, but each State has it’s own “FOIA” codes. It can be confusing. The FOIA is available for use in any state for any public record. It does not replace the researcher, but for those of us who have been unable to get to an out of town location or to contact or afford a researcher it's great. My requests have gotten my gggrandfather's household inventory, office contents incl. a list of law books and furniture, guardianship docs for my ggrand uncles and aunts, a (long) list of people that owed him money for mortgages he held, how much, when they were due, how much of a household allowance the Estate had my gggrandmother on for the next 5 years! My mom’s medical records, my grandmother’s medical records, death certificates for numerous relatives in the states and back to Europe. My email genealogyprincess2000@yahoo.com. I will be glad to help anyone with any additional information or reformatting the forms for other states, other data requests, etc. Just send me an email. For the package of information, I request $6.58 for paper, envelope, copying and postage costs. (I had no idea this would be responded to in such huge numbers (!!) and hadn’t planned on it being 20 pages either!) Check [to Kathy Lawler], cash, Paypal (same as ! email), whatever is easiest for you. If you’d like this information, send your address and $6.58 to Genealogy Princess, 20757 Camden Square, #210, Lathrup Village, MI 48076. I will send you the information (it’s 20 pages) the very day I receive your address in the mail. Thanks! Kathy Lawler Questions to the email, I’ll respond right away. It’s great to actually get the stuff you need to move forward with your research!