2% Bail Bonds???

I have heard people say they can get bail bonds for 2%. "Two percent will get you out" is a clever way some bail agents try to deceive people into thinking they are only paying 2%. In reality, what they are saying is 2% down. I tried to explain this to a lady a couple of weeks ago. She insisted that's all they had to pay was 2%. I armed her with some questions to ask and had her call the bail agent back. When I spoke to her again, she said I had been right. When she confronted him with the direct questions I had told her to ask, he answered honestly that the balance of 8% WOULD have to be paid when her husband got out.

There are ads that say 2% but they say 2% down upon approved credit or something along those lines. Generally with such a low down payment, collateral will be required.

It's upsetting to me that there are bail agents who choose to be deceptive and take advantage of people at a time when they are already going through so much emotional turmoil. There are a lot of good bail agents. You just have to use your instincts and go with someone you feel comfortable with.

Bad Experiences

This is the place to share bad experiences to maybe help others from going through the same thing. Bail bonds can be confusing. Help others sort through the confusion. If you did not understand something but now you do, share it. You may be able to help others.

For example, there is often confusion about the premium and the fact that it is non-refundable. The Bail Bond Agreement or contract you sign states that the premium is non-refundable. As soon as the arrestee is released on the bail bond the premium is fully earned. Even if the person gets rearrested 5 minutes later, you don't get the premium back. The bond is good for one year. Most cases are resolved in less than a year. If the bond is not exonerated at the end of the year you must either pay the premium again, get the defendant released on an O.R. or put the person back in custody.

What if the District Attorney didn't file charges? Do I get my premium back? The answer is no. Regardless of whether the person was falsely arrested, no charges were filed or the case was dismissed you don't get the premium back.

Can I sue the police/sheriff for false arrest and make them pay the premium? You can sue anyone for anything but I've rarely heard of these types of lawsuits being successful. Your best bet would be to consult an attorney for legal advice.

Good Experiences, tips and pointers

To help other people who may be looking for a bail bond company, post comments in this section about good experiences you've had. Or maybe you learned something you now know that you wish you had known before.

There are a lot of good bail bond companies out there. Use your instincts. If the bail agent you are talking to on the phone treats you right and provides you with information and answers to your questions, that is a good sign. If the bail agent is gruff or rude call someone else. There are too many nice bail agents for you to have to deal with someone who is not nice. Think about it, you are going to be spending a large amount of money with this person/company. They should treat you accordingly.

If you decide to call around and your phone number is displayed, you may get unwanted phone calls back from the more agressive bail agents. Try to call from a blocked number.

What is a bail bond and how do they work?

Bail is the amount of money that needs to be posted in order for someone to be released from jail. The bail is a deposit to guarantee that the arrestee will make all of their court appearances. For example, if the bail is $10,000. You can either put up the $10,000 cash with the jail or you call a bail bond company. The bail bond company will put up the $10,000 for you. To do this, they charge a fee of 10%. So you would pay the bail bond company $1,000. You do not get this $1,000 back. If you posted the full $10,000 directly with the jail, you would get the full $10,000 back from the court approximately 6-8 weeks after the case is over with.

In addition to the $1,000 you pay, the bail bond company may ask for collateral. The reason they may ask for collateral is because if the person you bail out skips bail, the $10,000 will have to be paid to the court. The collateral would be used to pay the court.

The bail bond company will try to assess the risk of the arrestee showing up to court along with the financial responsibility of the person signing for the bond (the indemnitor or co-signer) to determine whether or not they will require collateral.