Ambush!

Howdy Folks!
I spent a couple of days feeling like I'd tangled with a whirlwind.

As an adjunct to making money along with fugitive recovery, I decided I ought to do process serving as well. So I made contact with a gentleman who turned out to be the president of our local professional process service association here in the Denver metromess. I was referred to him by ServeNow.

When I called him, he was particularly helpful and offered to take me out on his own serves next week to see how he does things. That's the sort of offer I find truly helpful. So I agreed. He then told me of a monthly meeting of the association that was only a couple of days away. Fortunately, I was able to rearrange things at my day job, and I showed up all bright and bushy for the meeting.

It did not surprise me to find other folks at the meeting were bail agents or fugitive recovery folks. Nor did it surprise me that most of them offer their services as private investigators. The meeting was interesting, and I believe I learend a thing or three.

One of the folks there, a fugitive recovery agent himself, told me about a meet-up at the state capitol with a legislative committee looking into fugitive recovery issues with an eye toward new legislation.

Next morning, 8am or in the vicinity thereof, I showed up and found a conference room with a huge table and about a dozen folks gathered around. I moved toward a seat against the wall, when the representative of the state house invited me to take a seat at the table. I did so, but felt a bit odd while dragging a chair from the wall to a space available at the table. The meeting started and folks put their opinions out for consideration, and questions were asked by different individuals of the bail agents and FRAs who were present. Among them were a gentleman who is from the Colorado Sheriff's Association. Another representing local law enforcement. Two or three are bail agents, while at least 3 of us were FRAs.

I was taken aback when I was called upon to speak about my opinion and my training, as well as the specific item under discussion. As a rule, I am plenty capable of articulating my sentiments. However, I was feeling like I'd run straight into an ambush because I came thinking I was invited to observe... now I'm involved all of a sudden? I don't resent it, I just wasn't prepared for it.

Anyhow, the meeting took about an hour and the representative of the house told us to keep the matter under discussion to ourselves at this time, owing to the fact that no decisions had been made, and we are only in the exploration of the question. Some folks explained their need to research the issue and return at the next meeting with their findings. So I guess I can't really talk about the specifics, which wasn't the aim of this here post anyhow.

My point is that you always need to be ready for an ambush, whether on a recovery job or walking into the capitol building! I have been to the statehouse maybe once in all my years in Colorado. I went to a meeting to learn about process service, and within 24 hours, ended up in a conference room with a legislative panel trying to figure out whether to create new legislation that would directly affect Colorado bail agents in general, and fugitive recovery agents in particular.

Should I be invited back, I'll be better prepared and much better able to articulate myself than this time around.

Overall, I felt the experience was a positive one. And I felt honored to be seated at the table with all those fine folks and offering my perspective on the topic under discussion. I just felt that I didn't do very well by virtue of being taken by surprise.

Thanks for taking time to look into this post.
Mel

_________________
Mel Edington, Fugitive Recovery Agent
CDOI 2011-117
Colorado Private Investigator,
DORA PI10000052
Athame Investigations,
division of Colorado Bounty Hunter LLC
Aurora, Colorado
303-343-7111 Office
303-319-1077 Cell
303-366-3189 Fax

Available for Fugitive Recovery, Process Service, Investigation and Legal Courier Service.

Wow, sounds like you had a great couple of days!

I was at the California Capitol earlier this week, also dealing with process serving. However, I wasn't there for a meeting. I was serving papers to the governor!

In adition to recovery, I also do process serving, and notary, and security consulting, and LP training, and...and...well, whatever someone will pay me for at this point.

Hopefully I'll have my bail agents license in a couple of months, and I'm working on my PI as well.

_________________
Demian Ross
Acacia Consulting Group
916.241.FIND(3463)
1.877.556.3678
California PC1299 Compliant Fugitive Recovery
Process Serving
Mobile Notary
Security Consulting

Colorado, as well as a number of other states... Virginia in particular... have had issues over the past few years relating to our industry... pre-trial, limited bonding, pr issues and other related items have been on the table at varying levels of interest... most aimed at limiting or removing the bail industry and replacing it with some form of bureaucratic government controlled agency with legislation that is not in our favor. It has been my observation over the years that most government agencies in this business end up existing for their own self centered interests and in reality, do very little to regulate or control our business in a manner that is positive to us... they quickly become bureaucratic, tax supported, self interested organizations that seem filled with employees who have no clue what is really happening and in many instances, simply sit at their desk and refer callers to someone else for answers that never get answered..... phone calls, letters, in person meeting and interviews simply go away... no resolution in many instances... and in the instances that an answer is forthcoming... if you talk with a different person on a different day... you get a different answer.... very, very disheartening... bureaucracy is the word...

... can you tell I have a bad attitude.... sorry.... DCJS in Virginia, as an example, has no teeth, or chooses not to use them or apply their strength in other directions.

This is one reason that this St. Louis meeting is so important... hopefully NABBI can get off the ground and make a difference... it will be an uphill battle but very worthwhile.

_________________
Bill Marx, Sr.
"FREE STATE BAIL BONDS"
"FREE STATE INVESTIGATIONS"
DCJS: 99-176979
Cell: 434-294-0222

"Endeavor to Persevere" "Lone Watie"

"Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that , comes from bad judgment" "Will Rogers"

Speaking of Ambushes... well, I learned a thing or two about those just last week. Mel, it sounds like you kept a cool head and navigated your way through it. That is as much as anyone could expect. They key is keeping all of your ducks in a row, that minimizes the possiblity of having those little brush-fires that are so annoying.

_________________
Bryan Westerfield - Bail Agent
Angie Mardis Bail Bonds
Franklin, Indiana
Cell- 317-640-0724

Howdy!
I had to tangle with MSN over a computer issue yesterday. Talk about an ambush! That whole "keep a cool head" thing went right out the window as I talked with people who ain't from around these parts. One confesed to being in the Phillipines, and another in Indonesia. They weren't as computer literate as me, and that's saying something!

Anyhow, I suspect there's a story behind your experience. Maybe we can chat about it at NABBI!

Blessings,
Mel

_________________
Mel Edington, Fugitive Recovery Agent
CDOI 2011-117
Colorado Private Investigator,
DORA PI10000052
Athame Investigations,
division of Colorado Bounty Hunter LLC
Aurora, Colorado
303-343-7111 Office
303-319-1077 Cell
303-366-3189 Fax

Available for Fugitive Recovery, Process Service, Investigation and Legal Courier Service.

The pick'ns are thin 'round these here parts (pathetic attempt at typing you). I hope to be able to attend the next NABBI conference. I just plain dont have the funds to do so this year.
About the cool head thing. I wrote three bonds over the weekend in which the premiums were paid by the defendent via a Sheriff's Dept check (Johnson county records and deposits the defendant's cash in a bank account and the check they cut for a defendant property release is written to the Def and then endorsed by said Def.). I decided to use a branch that was close to my residence(still in Johnson County) and they initially refused my deposit even tho I provided my office's copy of the premiums, MY copy of the POAs, and a photocopy of the defendant's driver's licenses. They claimed to be protecting themselves from fraud by refusing a legitimate transaction with my perfectly legal third-party check. Bear in mind that I had most of documentation required to legally capture these guys should they become skips(short an arrest warrant, of course).
My first reaction was sensible enough. I asked the teller if she wouldn't mind contacting the Franklin Branch, the one that I normally deposit at, and she agreed to. Well whoever she spoke with must not have been in the know. The person she spoke with denied accepting third party checks from the Johnson County Sheriffs Dept.
In our business, we are open to many types of fraud that we use sound judgement, and other means, to mitigate. Banks and Sheriff's Depts rely on unbendable policys. The Sheriffs Dept won't write the defendants check to the bail agency and the bank wont accept the third party check w/o clearance from someone who is actualy reachable.
I understand that fraud is prevalant and businesses need to protect them selves, but I write surety bonds for thousands of dollars for a lower standard of proof of legitimacy than bank(which is filming me as well) requires for me to deposit funds in the form of third-party checks for $500 into a business account. Gah!!! After approx 15 minutes minutes of discussion, I decided that the time had come for me to describe in detail how ridiculous this all was, in my humble opinion( I didn't raise my voice but I did make use of some well timed sarcasm). My "cool" was in danger of becoming lost.
In the end, I called my general agent and explained to him that I was going to depost the check in my personal account and withdraw the cash. Should I have just left after 5 minutes? Probably. But one thing in this world that grinds my gears is being stuck between to "big institution" policys. There is minimal loss to either side because the risk of loss is place squarely on the little guy. I feel that the little guy has enough burdens and, if said little guy has three solid forms of ID and enough legaly binding proof of the transactiions, that he/she deserves the benifit of the doubt....or at least don't manufacture the doubt and start refusing service due to willfull ignorance!

Well, I certainly did not think that I was going to rant like I just did, but it was theraputic.

_________________
Bryan Westerfield - Bail Agent
Angie Mardis Bail Bonds
Franklin, Indiana
Cell- 317-640-0724

Your more than welcome....

...just drop payment in the amount of $100, in the form of a "company" check made out to my name, in the mail to my address... payments are accepted from any legitimate payor with one exception.... the "Johnson County Sheriffs Dept."...

... and BTW... welcome to the bond business.... it's a "gas"!!

_________________
Bill Marx, Sr.
"FREE STATE BAIL BONDS"
"FREE STATE INVESTIGATIONS"
DCJS: 99-176979
Cell: 434-294-0222

"Endeavor to Persevere" "Lone Watie"

"Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that , comes from bad judgment" "Will Rogers"