A bail bondsman's primary duties are to collect the bail you raised or property you wish to put forth for bail, create the necessary documents, have you sign those documents while affirming your rights and procedures in regards to bail, and then driving up the jail during business hours to hand the bail and documents to the jailer. The bond agent then accepts the transfer of custody. The incarcerated person is then released into your custody to await a hearing.
A lot of people think that the bonds agent does a lot more with regards to raising bail and providing bail solutions, but that is not true. Financing is not within the scope of a bail bond agent's job description or duties. Here is what a bond agent can and cannot do with regards to bail for a client.
The Bond Agent Cannot Lend Money to You for Bail
The bond agent cannot lend you money to give back to the agent in the form of bail. Even if the bond agent is a close friend of the family, as a friend, they cannot lend you money for bail and then turn around and collect that money for bail. That crosses a lot of professional lines and blurs business with personal matters. If you were to borrow money from a friend that is a bond agent, but then use that money to get a bail bond from another agent, that is an entirely different story, although you would almost owe twice, if you think about it.
On the flip side, a bond agent can recommend a few lending institutions with whom he/she has worked in the past. These lending institutions may provide funds to people who need to borrow a loan for a bail bond. Because the bond agent has had no conflict with these lending institutions and their working relationship has been good, the lending institutions may come highly recommended by the bond agent.
The Bond Agent Cannot Help You Start a Crowdfunding Page for Bail
There are many crazy things that people start a crowdfunding page for, and bail money is not the craziest of them. However, your bail bond agent cannot help you or show you how to start a crowdfunding page. That is on you, but your page may not be as well-received as you hope. Since you are going to need bail money a lot sooner than a week from now, it may be a better idea to see if you have anything of value you can pawn or borrow against. The bond agent can probably recommend a couple of pawnbrokers that can help.
For more information, contact a company like Steele Boys Bail Bonds.
