Another One Back Behind Bars

Well I got my first case last Wednesday after being gone for over a year and closed it at 1215 today. Man out on a 10,000 bond skipped to Minnesota the bondsman made calls to him and the co-signer for about a month and a half, I stepped in last week and thought I really do not have the cash to go to Minnesota. I made a call to the co-signer and within 30 minutes the skip calls me and said he would like to take care of this and would meet me in Michigan on Monday, well its Monday and he is back behind bars, got to love arrest by appointment. Now the best part is the bondsman wanted to “discount” the pay out because my partner and I never went to Minnesota well I got my 10% and paid my partner. I have been playing the payday game with this bondsman from the start of my career how do I get that stopped? I have been offered a bondsman position working under him do I take it or not? (It would only be a part-time thing for some extra cash)



Andy Dickey
Great Lakes Bail Enforcement

1) Wb...

2) Congratulations !

3) Nix on the position. It's a trick.

a) If he tried to cheat you on paying bounties....get a clue

b) If you work for him as a bail agent, then he will use the angle of "well you work for me now, so you hunt for free". Again, it's a bondsman's job to hang onto as much of his/her money as possible. He may be figuring he gets 2 for 1: a bail agent and a bounty hunter...

The only way I would do this is with a written contract stipulating that writing bonds are 1 thing; bounty hunting, regardless of who wrote the bond, is entirely different.

2 seperate skill sets..2 seperate jobs...2 seperate pay scales.

_________________
River City Associates
Decatur, Al. 35601

Andy

great job!

What starts out bad, doesn't get better! Forget the job, I agree with Ruffin.

Scott

_________________
R.E. "Scott" MacLean III

"Leaders are like Eagles, you never see them in a flock, but one at a time"

Chesapeake Group Investigations, Inc.
Chesapeake Bail Bonds
877-574-0500
301-392-1100 (fax)
301-392-1900 (Office)

Every time I suggest this, some recovery agents say they will not work for someone thats requires a written contract. This is what happens when you don't get the contract for your work in writing.

If the bail agent will not put it in writing, find work else where. They know if you have a written contract that states you get a paid X amount how ever you are able to get them back in custody, they can't reduce your pay.

Also in some states, you are required to have written proof that you are authorized to make the pick up on behalf of the bail agent.

In our state, they require 2 documents:

1) Certified Bondsman's Process

2) Certified copy of the Bond

Now, I have learned, that it helps to have a L.O.A- Letter of Authorization in addition to the other documents. Basically this is a limited power of attorney granting the recovery agant all the authority they need to conduct an investigation on the bondsman's behalf.

references:

http://www.legislature.state.al.us/Code ... coatoc.htm

Title 15-Criminal Procedure; chapter 13-Bail

Section 15-13-128
Form for bondsman's process.
The following shall be substantially the form to be used for a bondsman's process.BONDSMAN'S PROCESS


STATE OF ALABAMA

COUNTY OF ___________.

(or)

CITY OF ______________.

WHEREAS, the Sureties on the bail of the defendant _____, in case number _____, have expressed their desire to surrender the defendant to the custody of _____ of (City or County), Alabama, and such desire has been expressed to the clerk of the _____ Court of the City/County of _____, Alabama, and,

WHEREAS, the clerk has checked the records and case number _____ is still pending and the defendant nor his or her sureties have been discharged of their obligations, or the records of case number _____ reflect that the defendant has failed to appear on the obligation of bail as required and a warrant has been issued for the arrest of the defendant.

NOW, THEREFORE, this document is issued, as required by law, and the document gives the right to the Sureties (bondsmen) to arrest the defendant, _____ at any place in the State of Alabama, or the sureties may authorize another person to arrest the defendant by an endorsement in writing on this document or attached to this document and the surety or bondsman shall forthwith, after the arrest, take the defendant to the _____ jail of _____, custodian thereof.

Executed this _____ day of _____, 19__.
________________
CLERK OF COURT


SEAL:

Bondsman Return

On this _____ day of ___________, 19__, I ___________ agent for ___________ surrender the above named defendant to the ___________ jail of ___________.

Time: _____

(Acts 1993, No. 93-677, p. 1259, §29.)

_________________
River City Associates
Decatur, Al. 35601

Andy, sad but true, that once a bondsman or company finds an excuse not to pay you, it doesn't get better. If I have a skip and I can't pay a BEA to go after them, I will do the work and arrange the apprehension myself. If I have the funds to hire someone, they get paid whether I collect or not. That is how I do business. I do business this way because we have gotten screwed by bondsmen who were desperate not to pay a bond, but couldn't or wouldn't pay the BEA for the apprehension.

We refuse to work for anyone who doesn't pay a fair amount, no matter what amount may be. Your work is your work, and an ethical agent would never expect you to give up your work without paying for it. If I send you a file and you collect info, I will pay you, because that is how I operate. Many bail agents will take your information and contact LE or others who will do the apprehension for less, thus cutting you out. NEVER do your work for free!! If someone else is paying my cost and salary, they have a right to my work. If I am paying for it, it belongs to me, and if they want it, they will pay for it!

_________________
Kathy Blackshear
Blackshear Investigations
Blackshear Bail Bonds
Sales Associate, Prepaid Legal Services, Inc.
Walsenburg, CO

Proud Member of the AB Reject Club

Be a little more clear on Alabama's Letter of Authorization. That is included on the Bondsman’s Process. When returning the fugitive to his home, there is a section at the bottom of the first page that includes the name of the person returning the fugitive and the name of the bonding company the fugitive was on bond with.

The only time you need a "contract" with a recovery agent is when he "is not" a bondsman working for your company. If he does work for you as a bondsman, then everything he does represents your company. If he is a "contracted recovery agent" and he forces you into court for liability issues, the court may have leniency on your company because of the contract.

Andy, I’m with Scott, Ruffin and Kathy. Scott said if it starts out bad, then it will always end up bad. It’s like when I first started in this business. If I signed the bond, I was responsible. So I did everything I could to get them back. If I couldn’t find them, I asked for help. That’s when I met Ruffin. He was working a case in my area and through his networking we were able to close many a case. But the one thing I can tell you. This business is built on respect.

Good to see ya back Andy…

_________________
Jay Shell
Covering North East AL.
AAA / Eagle Bail Bonds, LLC
Anniston, AL
256.235.2437

Jay is correct. The document does allow for the naming of an individual or

"The sureties may authorize another person to arrest the defendant by an endorsement in writing on this document or attached to this document... "

I have found and learned, through my 7 years of experience in this business, especially when traveling to out of area jurisdictions, That a seperate letter of Arrest, Authorization, Limited Power of Attorney, etc carries alot more weight and opens more doors than just our Bondsman's Process.

I actually have had DA's, Court clerk's, police officer's, investigator's and people in the private sector such as HR, landlord's, employer's, etc ask me for some kind of document or authorization empowering me to act on the bondsman's behalf.

So I stand corrected from my intial post, it is not a law that you have it, but I wont do a recovery without it.

I also agree with Jay that this business, like all other's, is built on mutual respect, honesty, professional standards and strong work ethics.

That's not to say that professinal disagreements wont happen from time to time on various issues; however, that doesn't lessen the professional rapport we maintain with one another in this industry.

_________________
River City Associates
Decatur, Al. 35601

The agreement I have with my boss works well for me. As I work pretty much from home. First year I get 10% com on any bail I right as a Bail Agent ( will go to 20 2nd year). Recovery work my option 150.00 per hour or 20% of the orignal bond amout which ever is higher per our Bail contract. I dont have to work in the office or sit there waiting for calls, doing extra paper work so no hourly or salary. Works real nice for me. He does pay me in cash for all expenses

_________________
Mike
Norcal Bail Enforcement
San Jose Ca.
360 237 1721 efax
408 402 2710 work cell
DOI Bail Agent Lic 1844214
BSIS G1533544

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