SO WHY WERE THE BONDS WRITTEN? $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Joe,

That was the point of the questions that I asked. Now as a business owner, you have the right to refuse service to whomever you choose. However, the deeper question I was getting at was what is the refusal based upon, opinion or fact?

I think this is a very important and relevant discussion, and I appreciate all the responses.

I for one was never a policymaker. I had to follow the rules and guidelines of the agency owner's. Afterall it was thier money on the line, and when in doubt I would call them and ask them for guidance. Most of the time I got the same answer.."You're there, I'm not..what is your gut instinct ? What does thier past record reflect ?"

I didn't like being in that position. Damned if I did, damned if I didn't...it was a lose-lose situation for me all the way around.

Why I am not writing bail any more. It's 1 thing if you're the agency owner or in business for yourself..it's totally different when you are just an employee and accountable to a boss.

People have all kinds of rights....including my right to not get you out..for whatever reason. Not my fault you went to jail..not my fault you're hooked on drugs...not my fault you can't flip burger's at the local fast food restaurant..etc.

It's not that hard to live honestly, morally, and legally. If you break the law, you go to jail...period.

Like Beretta used to sing " Don't do the crime if you can't do the time..."

_________________
River City Associates
Decatur, Al. 35601

JoeS

That is where the gut instinct comes into play. I have bonded my fair share of the "predators" and I have only been surprsied one time. I really thought that the guy did not do it . . . until he took the plea.
I don't Judge . . . but if you give me the heebie jeebies just looking at you I am going to get up and walk away.

_________________


Do not consider anything for your interest which makes you break your word, quit your modesty, or inclines you to any practice which will not bear the light, or look the world in the face .... Marcus Antonius

I AM Some Folks "KARMA" and A MODERATOR @ FRN

I think there are more factors taken into account before bailing someone that we may over look because they may be subconsciense to us.

Some states have longer forfeiture periods to locate and return the skip. Some also have remission periods after the SJ has been entered.

Is the skip a legal resident, citizen or illegal? What country is he or she from originally?

How much help can you get from your local LE or feds in looking for the skip?

If someone is half way intelligent, they can elude the best of the best recovery agents for years. So there is no guarentee that we can be 100% perfect in recovery skips.

Finally, if one has a particular feeling one way or another on a specfic charge, that bail agent can decide not to post that bond based on that feeling or belief. Lets face it, there usually are more than one bail agent in a city or area. IF one agent wont do it, the other will.

Is that prejudice? Yes. Do we have to right to do it in this business based on the charges? Yes.

In most states, we are insurance agents. Like all other forms of insurance, the policy is issued based on the risk of having to pay off on that policy.

Factors include age, race, prior history, employment, residental area, family, etc. Most of these same factors also apply to bail bonds also.

Wow, finally a topic one can get their teeth into!

My bond writing is based on a few simple rules that were learned as a recovery agent picking up other people's mistakes.

What starts out bad, doesn't get better. If you lie to me in the bail writing process, you are going to have Amnesia when the defendant misses court.

The fourth time that you bail an individual out, statistically they will forfeit. The mindset learned from interviewing captured skips is that "The bondsman has made plenty of money on me, I don't owe him/her nothing", The bondsman's side is that they lull themselves into a false sense of security because they believe they know the defendant. This results in a slacking off on bail writing skills and learned procedures, you let your guard down.

If you are not a citizen, you don't get bonded, period.

Just because you have a well known attorney, doesn't mean that you will go to court. Many times these attorneys have informed their client that they better not come to court if: 1) you haven't finished paying me, 2) you are guilty and you are going to do time, 3) your plea deal just got rejected

Scared money doesn't make money, never write a bond because the bills are due, you will pay in the long run.

If the client comes into the office with all of the money on a large bond, be very thorough in your writing and research skills, you may be getting set up.

Girl friends and boyfriends do not make good signors. When the defendant misses court, they haven't been with them in 3 weeks. ( Why is it always 3 weeks?)

What I have learned is that even the most diligent bail writing practices can be usurped by the competition. If every bail bond office in your county will take 3% down with no signers, being thorough in your process will run clients off. The Weasel (no offense Tony) will run the hen house when the clients start to dictate the bail process to the bondsman.

Summary, Cop and lock, get the client and the money, get them through the bail writing paperwork and then request additional signers if needed to properly secure the bond. Honesty up front is better for business then being deceitful. I have generated more repeat business by being straight up with my clients then others have by hustling them.

Some bond companies write large volumes, have in house recovery teams and collections people to make it all work. By the time you pay all of these people, you may find that you are more profitable by being lean and mean and efficiently writing good bail. Then generate an additional revenue stream doing the recoveries for these "Wheel" agencies. Multiple revenue streams, the key to profitability!

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)

Scott,

WOW! California may start a new trend. Our clients have boyfirends / girlfriends that leave right after posting the bond. So it is hunt down the relatives.

When I have a boy / girl friend as an indemn, I always ask why didn't the mother, father, sister or brother bail the defendant. Usually before even thinking they blurt out;

"His (fill in the blank) said they wont do it anymore." or something to that affect that makes you decide not to write it or get solid collateral.

It is our office policy for very seriuos felony charges that can put someone away for years, we collect full premium up front plus collateral and we are starting to put them on EM.

I guess that is why we don't write very large bonds often.

A few observations about co signers:

Dads are better than moms. Especially on sons. Mom will be more likely to hide her sweet baby boy, or lie for him, while dad will be more likely to want him to do the right thing.

Grandpas are the best, period. They normally not only want JR to do the right thing, but will kick his ass personally if he jepordizes everything he has worked his whole life for.

You dont get them very often, but ex wives are good too. Obvious as to why they will rat, normally. And if they were married long, she will know his habits and hangouts.

As for clients, it seems to me that women are harder to find than men. Its easier for women to "bed surf" without putting down roots. Its easier for them to get everything in someone elses name and never leave a paper trail. They can get a man to lie, cheat and steal to keep them under cover(s). LOL

As for bonding predators, it all depends on the situation. Someone is going to bond them if they have the cash and are a decent bond. Any notion of being noble is out the window. They will get out either way. The only difference is if you got the cash or your competitior.

Case in point. An old farmer that lives around here got arrested for making his grand daughter perform sex acts on him. Dont get me wrong, I wanted to blow his head off when I read the warrant. BUT, he has lived around here for 65+ years. He owns a big dairy farm. His bond is 50k and he has the 5k in his pocket.

Whoever doesnt write that bond because of the charge is leaving cash on the table senselessly.

The only instructions we give our agents is to try and secure any bonds over 5k the best you can. You cant always do it. This is a rural area and we know most people. I tell them when your filling out the info sheet, think as if your trying to find them right now and get the info you need. Like I said, alot of these locals we dont worry too much about. Ive wrote many 50-100k bonds with no cosigner and no security.

Just some of my own observations.