What Does It Mean To Be A Cosigner On A Bail Bond?

Ray Hrdlicka – Bail Agent – Bail Bond Cowboys

“Hi, Ray Hrdlicka with Bail Bond Cowboys.  One of the biggest questions that we are asked all the time is…’what does it mean for me to be a cosigner?’  My loved one just called me, wants me to cosign for the bail…what does that mean?  What am I responsible for?  Am I putting myself in jeopardy?  What’s happening?  What do I have to do?

So, let’s start at the beginning…let’s use an example.  $10,000 bond.  And you’re asked to be a cosigner on this $10,000 bond. Now, you’re responsible for any and all costs associated with that bond, for the entire length of the court case, until that bond is exonerated.  Now those costs can be a lot of different things.  We’re going to cover those in a little bit.  Some of those costs always come into play, some of those cost may never come into play.  Let’s use the example of the $10,000 bond.  On that $10,000 bond, there’s a fee, of course.  10%….set by the State of California.  $1,000.  We believe, at Bail Bond Cowboys, that the person inside should make the payments.  But if they don’t make the payments, then we’re going to ask the cosigner to contact the defendant and to enforce the fact that he should be making the payments.  And if he still doesn’t make the payments, then we’re going to look to you to make them.  So that’s one of the liabilities.  It’s the premium of the bond, whatever it is.  If it’s a $5,000 bond, it’s $500.  If it’s a $20,000 bond, it’s $2,000.  We’re a little different than everybody else, we want to person inside to pay that fee.  So, if they don’t pay it, we’re going to look to you.  You need to make sure, before you’re a cosigner, that you feel comfortable with the fact that he can pay that fee.  That’s number one.

Number two…as a cosigner, we need for you to feel comfortable that he, it’s either he or she of course,  is going to go to court.  And not just the first time, not just the first court date, but every court date afterwards until that bond is exonerated.  The bond is usually exonerated at the end of the court case, when he’s found guilty, not guilty, takes a plea deal, whatever.  We need to make sure you feel comfortable that he’s going to go to each one of those court dates.  Because if he doesn’t go to those court dates, then this is where the second liability comes into play.  The second liability is that you are responsible for the entire bond if he doesn’t go to court, and the statutory time period, which is six months in California, passes by and the court has their hand out to me. If the court says ‘Ray…Bail Bond Cowboys…you owe me $10,000’, I turn around and I look to you for the $10,000.  Now, does that happen very often?  Absolutely not.  But the reason it doesn’t happen, is that person inside feels responsible to you.  So that is what we need to make sure happens right from the very beginning.  That person inside feels responsible to you to go to court because he or she does not want you to be responsible for that amount of money.  It’s that simple.

Now if he misses a court date, and he actually does decide not to go to court, and there is a warrant out for his arrest…that warrant is not going away.  The warrant will be there forever.  So, it’s pretty stupid in the first place.  That’s why it doesn’t happen very often.  But we need to make sure that person inside has a responsibility to that cosigner…feels that responsibility, that liability, that connection. 

Now, number three…there are some costs associated with missing a court date, or if there are any attorneys involved for us to collect the fee, or to ensure he goes to court, or if we have to have investigators go out and look for him.  All those fees are extra in addition to the 10% fee for the premium.  That’s in the contract.  Now will that come into play if he goes to court?  Absolutely not!  Will it come into play if he misses a court date by accident?  No!  If he misses a court date on purpose and decides not to go to court, and we have to go find him, then they will come into play. 

There are a number of liabilities the cosigner has…some of them are absolute, meaning the premium, meaning the liability for the bond.  And some of them only if the bond gets in trouble and is forfeited by the court.  If you have any other questions, please give us a call.  Ray Hrdlicka at Bail Bond Cowboys.  The number is on the screen.  Give us a call, we will be happy to answer any questions that you have.”