How you can search public records

Photo: fonis/morguefile.com

Whether you’re hiring a contractor or having a dispute with an individual, you might find a pot of gold hidden in New Jersey’s public records.

Anyone can search court files, criminal records, property records and more — if you know where to look.

The Bamboozled column on NJ.com took a close look, with lots of help from star researcher Vinessa Erminio. Take a look.