When You Are On The Hook For Bail Money: How Bail Enforcement Services Work

Bail is established in a criminal case when the defendant is considered a flight risk. If you have put up bail for an individual to secure their release, you risk losing your money if they don't show up to court. If the individual doesn't go to court and goes missing instead, you have some options. Bail enforcement services will work hard to locate the missing individual and bring them back to court to be further arraigned. Once the fugitive is returned to the court system, the bail you paid is returned to you. While some bail bonds companies have a fugitive recovery unit, others rely on outside resources to find missing people who skip court.

How Defendants are Located and Captured

Defendants are tracked down using a number of strategies. Your fugitive recovery agent is likely to have a background in police work or investigations, and they will know what channels to use in order to locate the defendant and bring them back in for court. The recovery agent does not have to have a search warrant in order to re-arrest the individual who has skipped court. Because the defendant is now a fugitive from the law, the recovery agent is allowed to use tricks, force, and surveillance to locate the fugitive and bring them back to court.

Hiring a Fugitive Recovery Agent

While the majority of fugitive recovery agents are hired by bail bonds companies trying to recover their losses, individuals who have paid for the bail of a friend or family member can also hire a fugitive recovery agent to find the individual who has decided to run. The cost of hiring an agent to find the individual will vary depending on what you want the agent to do, their travel costs, and whether they find the individual or not. Many companies will not charge you unless they are able to find the individual in question.

When Your Home is Up as Collateral

One of the main reasons a family member or friend will try to locate an individual who has skipped on bail is if their home is up for collateral. While it may not have seemed like a big deal to use your home to secure the release of a loved one, when the home is at risk of being lost, the situation can become dire.

If you are stuck with bail money you can't afford to lose, it's time to see how a fugitive recovery agent can help.

For more information on bail enforcement, contact a company like First Choice Bail Bonds.