If you received a surprise phone call from a friend or family member who is currently at the local jail, they may have asked if you would consider posting bail for them so that they can be free until their court date. While you may want to help this person out, there are a couple of mistakes that you want to avoid when posting a bail bond for someone else.
1. Forgetting to Bring the Right Information with You When You Visit the Bail Bondsman
After speaking with your family member or friend, you may be worried about them being in jail and want to help them out as soon as possible. In a mad dash, you may decide to leave at once to go to the bail bondsman so that you can start the process of getting them out.
However, before you leave your house, you want to make sure that you have all of the necessary information with you. If you arrive at the bond company and do not have what they need, it will only delay the process and make the person you are trying to help stay in jail longer.
Before you go to the bondsman, make sure you have all of the pertinent information about the person, such as where they are being detained, their inmate number, the charges, and the bail amount. Also, you will need to know what percentage of the bail you will need to put up and whether you need proof of collateral, such as your car's title or deed to your house.
2. Neglecting to Keep Tabs on the Person You Bailed Out until Their Court Date
Once you have successfully posted the bond and gotten the person out of jail, you may mistakenly believe that your part is over and done with. However, because it is your name and property that is listed on the bond, you will be responsible for them in case they decide to leave town or not show up on their court date.
Until the day that they need to go to court, make sure you keep tabs on their whereabouts. While this is not to say that you need to stalk their every move, you still need to make sure that they are not doing anything illegal and still plan on going to court. If not, you will be legally liable for them violating the bond and have to forfeit whatever property you put up as collateral.
When you take on the responsibility of posting bail for someone you know, you want to make sure that you do not make any mistakes that may slow down the process or put you in a financial bind. For more detailed about the process and how it affects you, speak with a bondsman at the bail bond company you plan on using for helping your friend or family member get out of jail.
