Finding A Reliable Bail Bondsman: What To Know
If you have to bail someone out of jail and you aren't sure how to find a bail bondsman you can trust, there are some things you can do to make sure you don't lose your money and to be sure you're finding a legitimate bond provider. Bail bondsman can help you get out of a sticky situation or can help you bail out a friend or family member if you don't have the cash to post the entire bail. Here are a few tips when picking someone in your area.
Use a Credit Card
If you have to put down a deposit or 10 percent of the bail, do it with a credit card. Don't use cash or collateral. There are a few different reasons to do this, including the following:
- Credit card charges can easily be disputed if there are problems with the bondsman
- You'll have proof that you paid the bondsman
- You don't need to have the cash that day
Call the City Business Registration
Call down to the local city business registration to see if the bondsman you want to use is licensed and to see if there are any complaints. You want to take the risk out of transaction with the bondsman since you already have to risk the person you are bonding out going to their court date so you can get your money back. The city can quickly tell you about licensing, time in business, and more.
Go Over the Risks
There are a lot of risks when you decide to bail someone out of jail. They may not pay you back for the bond, you could owe the bondsman the entire cost of the bail if they don't show up for their court case, and you can end up losing a substantial amount of money.
If you have a friend or family member sitting in jail and you know you have to get them bailed out, you'll want to talk with a local bondsman to see how quickly you can get them to post the full bail amount and what it's going to cost you. Talk with the inmate to make sure they have every intention of going to their court date and paying you back for bailing them out of jail, so you don't end up with any surprises on the day that they are supposed to be prosecuted in court.
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