When Bail Bonds go Bad
Bail bonds dont really have that much potential to go bad in the initial stages. After all, not much money will have changed hands and, as long as youre dealing with a trustworthy Asheville bail bond agency, theres not much that can really go wrong. However, they really go downhill if forfeiture occurs, which is perhaps the worst part of the bail bonds process, and something youll want to avoid. When forfeiture happens, youre essentially going to have to hand over any collateral you initially offered in order to pay for the full amount of the bail bond. You may be able to pay by another means, but given the large amounts of money that were talking about, this is unlikely. Whats more worrying is the fact that, if forfeiture has occurred, the defendant is probably in much deeper trouble, but this doesnt really concern the bail bonds process specifically.
To try and avoid forfeiture, you need to take steps to make sure that the conditions set out in the bail bond are fulfilled. There normally arent many, and 90% of bail bonds will only say that the defendant must appear in court on a specific date. Whilst that shouldnt be too hard to achieve, if the defendant becomes desperate or panics about their situation, youre both going to be in trouble. You need to make sure that they are in a calm state of mind, that they understand the risk you have taken to bail them out of jail and that you keep track of their movements. If you just let the arrestee walk off into the sunset and then expect them to turn up to court when summoned, you could be in for a nasty surprise.
Obviously if its a family member youre going to trust them pretty heavily, but you have to understand that when faced with the prospect of going to court, people become naturally nervous. Its a good idea to stay by that persons side in the days leading up to the court date so that you can reassure them about the process. This not only helps you make sure that they appear in court and that you avoid forfeiture, it can also be a mentally stabilizing thing for the defendant, so its really something you should consider doing if you have the chance.
If forfeiture does occur, then things can spiral pretty quickly, so its really something that you dont want to happen, unless youve got huge amounts of money and dont need to worry, which is unlikely. The bail bonds process is incredibly easy, but that also means that people often bail someone out of the Asheville jail without actually thinking about the consequences. If youre put in this situation, take the time to think about the decisions you are making and assess your options. If your gut instinct tells you that getting involved with the bail bonds process is a bad idea, follow that instinct!
About the Author:
Ryan Wells is a Florida Bail Agent who can service Asheville Bail Bonds and can also provide Nationwide bail bonds service.
