Bail Bonding Business

A bail bonding business is a company that steps in to lend money to defendants or defendants’ families when they need to be released from jail. In California, a bail bond company will charge a bond premium for their bail bond services in the amount of 10 percent of the bail amount. As such, if a defendant has a bail set in the amount of $100,000, then the bail bonding business will charge the defendant $10,000 as a down payment for the full amount of the bail. The bonding agency will give the court the full amount of the bond, but only as a guarantee that the defendant will show up for court to stand trial.

It is important to mention that if the defendant fails to show up to court, the bail bonding business will lose the full bail bond. For this reason, a bail bonding business will typically request some type of collateral from the defendant or the person assisting the defendant with the bail to ensure that the defendant has a reason to show up.

Bail Bonding Businesses

However, if the defendant does show up as scheduled to court, then the bail bonding business will get a refund of the amount of the bail bond. The bond premium that the defendant paid, however, is nonrefundable. This is the fee that the bail bonding business charges for their services regardless of whether or not the defendant shows up in court. If the defendant does not go to court to stand trial, the bondsman will likely send a bounty hunter to track and find the defendant, who can arrest the defendant and make him or her return to jail. In such a case, the bail bonding business may receive a refund of the amount of the bail bond. Interestingly, the United States is the only country that allows bounty hunting.

Another way that the bail bonding business can recover money if the defendant fails to show up to court is via collateral. The bail agency may take the real property and sell it. Such is the case when a bonding business takes out a lien on a house or sells the house in foreclosure at the cost of the lost bail bond money.

Defendants do not have to use bail bonding businesses, however. In fact, it is cheaper to pay the full amount of the bail on their own, but most people do not have access to enough money to post bail and require assistance. When a defendant can pay the full bail amount, as long as they go to trial on their scheduled court date, they will get a refund of the bail amount.

Below are a few items to consider if you or your loved one has been arrested and is facing time in jail:

1. What type of bond is the best for my specific situation? Cash, surety or property?

2. Do I trust that the defendant will appear at all scheduled court appearances?

3. Do I have access to enough money to pay the premium or will I need to find a bail bonding business that accepts credit payments or collateral?

4. How long has the bail bonding business worked in this industry? Does the Better Business Bureau accredit them?

5. Is the bail bonding business available to me 24 hours a day, 7 days a week?

6. Can they provide testimonials or referrals to help me feel more comfortable with my decision?

7. Does the bail bonding business offer flexible payment plans?

8. Can their bail bond agent assist at any California jail?

These are just a few of the many concerns you should have as you begin to look for a bail bonding business that can assist you. We understand that time is of the essence and you don’t have days or weeks to do your research. Throughout our website you can find valuable resources that will not only give you insight into the Southern California bail bond process, but about our family run, locally owned business. Should you have any questions, we are always just a phone call or website inquiry away and would be happy to share our knowledge and expertise with you.

To learn more or to begin the bail bonds process, please do not hesitate to contact our team today. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by calling 888-694-9260. The quicker you contact our team of professional bail bonds agents, the sooner we can get to work on securing the release of your loved one. Please do not hesitate. Backed by decades of experience in the industry, we have the knowledge and resources you need to make to make this stressful time as easy as possible. Connect today to get started!