I have a question please?

Me and my son looked and looked for a bail skip. The skip finally called me and told me where he was at (cause he knew I was hot on his trail). I told him to call the bondperson and give himself up by a certain time or I would come get him.
He gave himself up to the bondperson at the agreed upon time and place. The bondperson told me she owed me nothing because I did not bring the person in even though it was me and my work that got him in. I could have just as easily had him turn himself in to me but I saved myself a trip and a lot of time.
My question is to the experienced bond person was the bondperson that refused to pay me right or wrong. A simple question of buisness ethics.

thanks for your time: Jim Ellis

Did you have a written contract with the bondsman? If not a verbal agreement may hold up in some courts.

However, I have preached this for years, get a written contract spelling out the terms in which you will get paid.

To answer your question, no it is not ethical what she did. But they will continue to do it as long as recovery agents let them get away with it.

If it's not on paper, then it didn't happen. Contracts are 1 of our most requested and frequented topics here. There are literally dozens of different ones with similar verbage. 1 of the key clauses in any BEA contract is 1 that guarantees payment if the bond is exonerated, by whatever means. This includes locating the def in custody in any jail, anywhere; personally cuffing and stuffing, or teching off of a bond.

The issue is this: Our job is to mitigate our client's liabilities by whatever legal means possible. Alot of bondspersons operate under the old school of "if you don't cuff n stuff, you don't get paid". You have to understand that bondspersons are running a business...so any opportunity they get to make or save money they will sieze immediately.

I know it's an unfair and expensive lesson to learn, but unfortunately there isn't anything you can do about it. Just let this 1 ride....

If you make a big stink about it you could end up getting yourself blackballed locally before you know it. Just keep working, and in the future negotiate a contract up front. If a bondsperson doesn't want a contract, then move on....you don't need to risk everything you have for a few dollars.

1 other thing...it isn't this forum's custom to personally e-mail responses to questions posed. That is time consuming on our part and not how we operate here. Regarding a topic's response, it is usually posted publicly for everyone to read and possibly benefit from or to add differing/opposing views. That's why these are called "discussion threads". If answers were privately e-mailed, then it defeats the whole purpose of a public forum.

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River City Associates
Decatur, Al. 35601

From the bonsmans side... I have several BEA's that I use exclusively... I don't have contracts with them and that is probably not a very good idea for either of us... however, I have been dealing with these groups for several years... I send them the paperwork... they look it over, determine whatever they think it will take... "quote me a price"... sometimes they will clarify the price by saying something like... if we can find him locally (in state) and it doesn't require a lot of legwork, survielance, etc... the price is $----... but if it requires more work it will go up ... now that is not the way you want to do it in an open field of operation... but he knows... and I know... that the price will be fair and we have worked together so that we have a very good idea based on the work, the bond amount and the distance... what the cost is gonna be.... but that is the way I do it...

If I had to go outside the loop for a BEA I was not familiar with or had not dealt with in the past... you can bet we would have a contract form each side... specifying price and all other pertinent aspects of the case... leave nothing to chance... you are in business to make a profit and the way to do that is simply look at the entire package and tie it up with the contract.

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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"